Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 18
The Vena Episode
Sunīthā’s Lament, Counsel on Fault, and the Turn toward Māyā-vidyā
सख्य ऊचुः । दुःखमेव महाभागे त्यज कायविनाशनम् । नास्ति कस्य कुले दोषो देवैः पापं समाश्रितम्
sakhya ūcuḥ | duḥkhameva mahābhāge tyaja kāyavināśanam | nāsti kasya kule doṣo devaiḥ pāpaṃ samāśritam
Die Freundinnen sprachen: „O edle Frau, lass ab von diesem selbstzerstörerischen Weg, der nur Kummer bringt. In wessen Geschlecht gibt es keinen Makel? Selbst die Devas sind vom Sündhaften berührt worden.“
The friends (sakhyaḥ)
Concept: Do not choose self-destruction out of shame; recognize that दोष (fault) is universal and can be corrected through right conduct and devotion.
Application: When facing family stigma or personal error, seek reform and spiritual remedy rather than despair; accept imperfection without excusing wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A noblewoman sits in grief at the threshold of a courtyard shrine, her hair loosened, eyes reddened. Around her, compassionate friends raise their hands in gentle restraint, pointing toward a small lamp before a Viṣṇu icon, urging her to choose life, repentance, and devotion over self-destruction.","primary_figures":["grieving noblewoman","concerned friends (sakhyaḥ)","small Vishnu icon or śālagrāma on a pedestal"],"setting":"domestic courtyard with a tulasi planter and a small household altar; quiet village ambience","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep maroon","lamp-gold","ash white","leaf green","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sorrowful noble lady seated near a household Vishnu shrine with a śālagrāma and tulasi planter, her friends standing in a semicircle offering compassionate counsel; heavy gold leaf halo around the Vishnu icon, rich reds and greens, ornate jewelry on the women, carved wooden pillars, gem-studded embellishments, devotional domestic intimacy.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet courtyard scene with delicate brushwork—women friends consoling a grieving lady beside a tulasi vrindavan and a small Vishnu altar; cool natural palette, lyrical trees and birds, refined faces with soft expressions, distant hills, emphasis on tender karuṇā mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments—women in traditional attire surrounding a seated lady near a lamp-lit Vishnu shrine and tulasi; stylized eyes, warm red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall aesthetic, compassionate hand gestures and calm composure.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central small Srinathji/Vishnu icon on a pedestal with lotus motifs and floral borders; foreground women friends consoling a lady; peacocks and cows subtly in the border, deep blues and gold accents, intricate tulasi leaves and lotuses framing the moral counsel scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","oil-lamp crackle","night insects","distant conch shell","brief silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नास्ति = न + अस्ति; दुःखमेव = दुःखम् + एव; महाभागे = महा + भाग (कर्मधारय); कायविनाशनम् = कायस्य विनाशनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष).
FAQs
It discourages self-destruction in times of grief and urges endurance, reminding that imperfection and moral blemish exist in every lineage—even among the gods—so despair should not lead to self-harm.
To normalize human imperfection and reduce shame: if even divine beings are portrayed as having moral entanglements in Purāṇic narratives, a person should not see family fault or personal suffering as grounds for hopelessness.
The speakers are “the friends” (sakhyaḥ), offering consoling counsel to a distressed noblewoman, advising her to abandon a self-destructive decision and to bear sorrow with perspective.