Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 13
Nahusha’s Challenge to Hunda and the Mustering of Battle
वधार्थं श्रूयतां पाप सोहमद्य समागतः । अस्यापि हुंडदैत्यस्य दुष्टस्य पापकर्मणः
vadhārthaṃ śrūyatāṃ pāpa sohamadya samāgataḥ | asyāpi huṃḍadaityasya duṣṭasya pāpakarmaṇaḥ
Écoute, ô pécheur : je suis venu aujourd’hui pour mettre à mort aussi ce démon Huṇḍa, ce scélérat aux actes pécheurs.
Unspecified (context needed to identify the speaker in Adhyaya 114)
Concept: Righteous force may be necessary to end persistent evil; naming sin (pāpa) and confronting it is part of dharma’s defense.
Application: Set firm boundaries against harmful behavior; act decisively when protection of others requires it, without slipping into cruelty for its own sake.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A warrior-ascetic figure steps forward, arm raised in a commanding gesture, eyes blazing as he addresses the demon with uncompromising certainty. Behind him, the air seems to ripple with unseen divine sanction, while Huṇḍa’s grotesque retinue recoils at the pronouncement of their doom.","primary_figures":["the avenger/hero (speaker)","Huṇḍa (demon)","dānava attendants"],"setting":"Open ground near a forest edge or ruined shrine, dust swirling as if the earth itself anticipates the clash.","lighting_mood":"storm-lit with sudden shafts of radiance","color_palette":["iron gray","lightning white","vermillion","dark indigo","burnished gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central heroic figure with gold-leaf aura and ornate weaponry, confronting Huṇḍa under an arch-like frame; demons rendered with rich dark tones and jeweled ornaments; gold leaf on weapons and halos, saturated reds/greens, dramatic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dynamic stance with flowing garments, fine linework on weapons and demon faces; landscape with sparse trees and a brooding sky; restrained palette with sharp vermillion accents for wrath.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, heroic figure in warm reds/yellows, demon in dark greens/blacks; stylized clouds and radiating patterns behind the hero to indicate divine backing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: theatrical confrontation framed by lotus borders; incorporate śaṅkha-cakra motifs subtly to align with Padma’s Vaiṣṇava undertone; deep blue ground, gold highlights, peacocks startled mid-step."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["war drum","conch shell","thunder roll","clashing cymbals"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वधार्थम् = वध + अर्थम् (तत्पुरुष); सोहमद्य = सः + अहम् + अद्य; अस्यापि = अस्य + अपि; हुंडदैत्यस्य = हुंड + दैत्यस्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभाव); पापकर्मणः = पाप + कर्मणः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभाव)
FAQs
This single verse does not name the speaker; identification requires the surrounding verses of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 114.
It frames the slaying of a demon as a deliberate act of moral retribution against wickedness and sinful conduct.
Persistent harmful actions (pāpa-karma) invite consequences, and the protection of order (dharma) may involve confronting and removing destructive forces.