Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 14
Dharma as the Cause of Prosperity and the Signs of a Righteous Death
धर्मस्य कारणं सर्वं मयोक्तं ते तथा किल । धर्मेण प्राप्यते पुत्रो धनं धान्यं तथा स्त्रियः
dharmasya kāraṇaṃ sarvaṃ mayoktaṃ te tathā kila | dharmeṇa prāpyate putro dhanaṃ dhānyaṃ tathā striyaḥ
Indeed, I have told you all the causes and foundations of dharma. Through dharma one obtains a son, wealth, grain, and also a wife.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator/sage voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: Dharma is the universal cause of stability and prosperity in gṛhastha life; righteous action becomes the seed of both social and personal well-being.
Application: Anchor goals (family, livelihood, food security, relationships) in ethical conduct: truthfulness, generosity, restraint, and worship; treat prosperity as stewardship for service (seva/dāna).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-sage points to a symbolic ‘tree of dharma’ whose branches bear four fruits: a child (putra), coins (dhana), golden sheaves (dhānya), and a garlanded couple (harmonious marriage). The listener watches as the fruits glow, suggesting that prosperity arises naturally from righteous roots.","primary_figures":["a sage/teacher","an attentive listener","symbolic figures: child, householder couple"],"setting":"Didactic vision-scene in an āśrama garden with a central wish-fulfilling tree motif; palm-leaf texts and a small fire altar nearby.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron gold","emerald green","ivory white","ruby red","deep brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central ‘dharma tree’ with gold leaf fruit motifs (child, coins, grain, wedding garland), sage with halo teaching beside it, listener in añjali, ornate gold filigree background, rich reds and greens, gem-like highlights on the fruits, symmetrical temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical garden scene with a stylized tree bearing emblematic fruits, delicate brushwork showing grain sheaves and small coin clusters, sage explaining with gentle gesture, soft sky and distant hills, refined faces and calm expressions, cool greens with warm gold accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat pigments, iconic dharma tree with clearly readable symbols, sage and listener with large expressive eyes, patterned borders, warm red-yellow-green palette, mural-like didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders and lotus motifs around a central symbolic tree, deep blue background with gold highlights, miniature vignettes of household prosperity arranged like mandala petals, intricate textile patterns and decorative symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["steady tanpura drone","soft mridangam pulse","crackling of a small yajña fire","temple bell at cadence points"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मयोक्तं → मया + उक्तं; प्राप्यते = कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive).
FAQs
It presents dharma as a means to attain key householder goals: a son, wealth, grain (sustenance), and a wife—i.e., family continuity and material stability gained through righteous conduct.
It frames material and familial well-being as legitimate outcomes when grounded in dharma—suggesting prosperity is best pursued through ethical means rather than separated from moral duty.
That dharma is foundational: when one lives rightly, both social/familial order and personal welfare are supported, making dharma a practical and moral cornerstone of life.