Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 159
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
गावो नष्टाः कृषिर्भग्ना भार्या च प्रपलायिता । अमी प्राघूर्णिकाः प्राप्ता भयं मे शंसिनो गृहान्
gāvo naṣṭāḥ kṛṣirbhagnā bhāryā ca prapalāyitā | amī prāghūrṇikāḥ prāptā bhayaṃ me śaṃsino gṛhān
Mes vaches sont perdues, mon labour est brisé, et mon épouse s’est enfuie. Et voici que ces rôdeurs errants sont venus chez moi, me présageant la crainte.
Uncertain (verse presented without surrounding narrative context)
Concept: Material supports (wealth, spouse, livelihood, social safety) can collapse suddenly; fear arises from dependence on the unstable.
Application: Build inner security: daily remembrance, ethical livelihood, charity when possible; treat possessions as entrusted, not owned—reducing panic when loss comes.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A distressed farmer stands before an empty cowshed and trampled field; broken plough and scattered grain show ruin. At the doorway, shadowy wanderers with staffs and travel packs gesture ominously, while the farmer looks over his shoulder toward a deserted house, conveying abandonment and fear.","primary_figures":["farmer/householder","wandering rogues/soothsayers (prāghūrṇikāḥ)","absent wife implied (empty threshold)"],"setting":"village outskirts with cowshed, damaged field, mud path leading to a lonely house","lighting_mood":"overcast, foreboding twilight","color_palette":["mud umber","storm gray","dull olive","rust red","cold indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic rural loss scene—empty cowshed, broken plough, anxious farmer; ominous wanderers at the threshold; add a small protective Viṣṇu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) on the house lintel highlighted with gold leaf, rich border ornamentation, jewel-like accents to contrast fear with divine protection.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: twilight village landscape with delicate detailing of ruined crops and empty cattle pen; refined expressions of fear; cool indigo-gray sky, subtle narrative figures of wanderers, lyrical yet tense composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized farmer with expressive eyes, bold outlines; ominous travelers in simplified forms; earthy pigments with strong contrasts, mural-like framing suggesting moral lesson about impermanence.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical layout—lower band shows the farmer’s losses; upper band shows a small central Viṣṇu symbol amid lotus motifs, intricate floral borders, deep blues and gold to imply refuge beyond fear."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant thunder","rustling wind","dog bark far away","brief conch-like drone at cadence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kṛṣirbhagnā → kṛṣiḥ + bhagnā; (others mostly padapāṭha-like).
FAQs
A speaker laments a chain of calamities—loss of cattle, ruined agriculture, a wife fleeing, and the arrival of suspicious wanderers—culminating in fear at home.
In this context it refers to roaming wanderers or vagrants—people who move about restlessly—implying they may be disruptive or threatening.
It highlights how instability in livelihood and household security can compound into fear, underscoring the need for prudence, protection of dependents, and steadiness in adversity.