Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 10
Nahusha’s Challenge to Hunda and the Mustering of Battle
नहुषं नाम विख्यातं देवब्राह्मणपूजकम् । हुंडेनापहृतं बाल्ये स्वामिना तव दानव
nahuṣaṃ nāma vikhyātaṃ devabrāhmaṇapūjakam | huṃḍenāpahṛtaṃ bālye svāminā tava dānava
Es gab einen Berühmten namens Nahuṣa, einen ehrfürchtigen Verehrer der Devas und der Brāhmaṇas. In seiner Kindheit wurde er von Huṇḍa—deinem Herrn, o Dānava—entführt.
Unspecified narrator (dialogue context not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Reverence to devas and brāhmaṇas marks dharmic nobility, yet worldly suffering can still befall the righteous—setting the stage for divine justice and restoration.
Application: Maintain respect for sacred learning and worship even amid adversity; do not equate hardship with spiritual failure—steadfastness becomes the seed of eventual deliverance.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A young, radiant child of noble bearing is shown in a palace courtyard where lamps and sacrificial vessels hint at deva-worship. From the shadows, the grim demon Huṇḍa seizes the child, the contrast between sacred order and violent adharma sharply visible.","primary_figures":["Nahuṣa (as a child)","Huṇḍa (demon)","brāhmaṇa priests (background)","deva icons/altars (symbolic)"],"setting":"Royal household near a small yajña-śālā with offerings, kusa grass, and a modest shrine; attendants frozen in shock.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with encroaching shadow","color_palette":["saffron gold","smoke gray","deep maroon","conch white","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: child Nahuṣa with serene halo-like aura near a yajña altar, Huṇḍa as a dark, ornamented demon grasping him; heavy gold leaf on altar vessels, arch motifs, rich reds/greens, gem-studded jewelry, South Indian iconographic symmetry, dramatic shadow at the edge of the frame.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate palace veranda and small fire-altar, soft pastel sky, refined faces; Huṇḍa emerging from a grove, the child’s calm dharmic glow contrasted with the demon’s angular menace; lyrical naturalism and fine textile patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat yet vibrant pigments; Nahuṣa with large expressive eyes, yajña elements stylized; Huṇḍa in dark tones with fierce eyes; temple-wall composition with ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette framed by lotus and creeper borders; symbolic Viṣṇu presence via śaṅkha-cakra motifs in the border, cows/peacocks subdued in corners; deep blues and gold accents highlighting dharma threatened by asuric force."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch","murmured mantra","sudden hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हुंडेनापहृतं = हुंडेन + अपहृतम्; ‘देवब्राह्मणपूजकम्’ में देव+ब्राह्मण (द्वन्द्व) तथा तत्पश्चात् ‘पूजक’ इति उपपद-समासवत् समुच्चयार्थः।
FAQs
Nahuṣa is presented here as a famous figure characterized by devotion and respect toward the gods and brāhmaṇas.
It states that Nahuṣa was abducted during childhood by Huṇḍa, identified as the lord of the addressed Dānava.
The verse foregrounds the virtue of honoring devas and brāhmaṇas (deva-brāhmaṇa-pūjā) as a marker of righteousness, even amid adversities like abduction.