Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 40
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
गार्हस्थ्यं च परित्यज्य अत्रायाता किमर्थतः । वदस्येवं मुखेनापि अहं हि पतिदेवता
gārhasthyaṃ ca parityajya atrāyātā kimarthataḥ | vadasyevaṃ mukhenāpi ahaṃ hi patidevatā
«Pourquoi as-tu renoncé à la vie de foyer et es-tu venue ici ? Comment peux-tu même proférer de telles paroles ? Car je suis celle dont l’époux est la divinité même.»
Unspecified (a devoted wife addressing another person, likely another woman)
Concept: Gārhasthya-dharma and pativratā-bhāva are upheld as a woman’s chosen sacred orientation; speech and conduct should align with that vow.
Application: Honor commitments and roles you have consciously accepted; let identity be grounded in integrity rather than impulse or social pressure.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a modest yet sanctified home courtyard, a devoted wife stands near a small household shrine, lamp in hand, questioning another woman who has arrived from outside. The scene balances firmness and compassion: the speaker’s calm gaze, the visitor’s unsettled posture, and the ever-burning lamp suggesting dharma’s steady light.","primary_figures":["devoted wife (pativratā)","visitor woman","household shrine deity (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa icon or śālagrāma)"],"setting":"Gṛhastha courtyard with tulasi platform implied in the corner, brass lamp, water pot, and a simple doorway opening to the outside world.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","sandalwood beige","vermilion","leaf green","soft indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: pativratā wife holding a brass lamp before a small Nārāyaṇa/śālagrāma shrine, gold leaf highlights on lamp flame and jewelry; visitor at the threshold; rich reds and greens, ornate borders, devotional domestic sanctity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard scene with delicate textiles and gentle facial expressions; soft lamp glow, cool evening blues outside the doorway; lyrical domestic realism with refined linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized eyes; central wife figure with lamp and composed stance; shrine and doorway rendered in temple-wall aesthetic; red/yellow/green pigments with black contouring.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: domestic dharma scene framed by lotus and floral borders; small shrine with śaṅkha-cakra motifs; peacock feather-like patterns and deep blue background with gold accents; emphasis on lamp, purity, and vow."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["lamp crackle","soft anklet chime","night insects","distant temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अत्रायाता = अत्र आयाता; वदस्येवं = वदसि एवम्; मुखेनापि = मुखेन अपि.
FAQs
It asserts the speaker’s commitment to gṛhastha-dharma (householder life) and the ideal of pati-devatā—viewing devotion to one’s husband as a defining religious duty.
It reflects dharma as role-based duty: the speaker questions renunciation or departure from household responsibilities and frames fidelity and marital devotion as a sacred obligation.
The verse emphasizes steadiness in one’s vowed responsibilities and cautions against speech or actions that undermine one’s chosen moral/religious commitments.