Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 86
The Sin of Breaking Households: Citrā’s Past Karma and the Remedy of Hari’s Name and Meditation
कौमोदकी गदा तस्य महासुरविनाशिनी । वामे च शोभते वत्स हस्ते तस्य महात्मनः
kaumodakī gadā tasya mahāsuravināśinī | vāme ca śobhate vatsa haste tasya mahātmanaḥ
હે વત્સ, તે મહાત્માના ડાબા હાથે મહાસુરવિનાશિની કૌમોદકી ગદા શોભતી હતી.
Unspecified narrator (contextual description within the dialogue frame of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: The Lord’s divine weapons signify His active protection of devotees and destruction of adharma.
Application: Cultivate refuge (śaraṇāgati): remember the Lord as protector when facing inner ‘demons’ (anger, greed), and align actions with dharma.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A four-armed Viṣṇu stands in calm command, his left hand lifting the Kaumodakī mace that glints like a captured lightning bolt. The mace’s presence feels both tenderly protective and terrifying to unseen demons, while the Lord’s face remains serene, as if compassion itself wields power.","primary_figures":["Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa)","Kaumodakī (divine mace personified as radiance)"],"setting":"Temple sanctum threshold opening into a cosmic sky—garlanded pillars, faint silhouettes of fleeing asuras dissolving into mist.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","molten gold","deep emerald","ivory white","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu in frontal iconographic stance at a sanctum doorway, left hand holding Kaumodakī with gold-leaf flare, heavy gem-studded crown and ornaments, rich red-green textiles, embossed aureole, tiny fleeing demon motifs in the background, high-relief gold detailing on mace and jewelry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Lyrical Viṣṇu with soft facial modeling, Kaumodakī raised in the left hand, delicate linework, cool twilight sky with pale stars, subtle demon silhouettes fading into mountain-like clouds, refined ornamentation and gentle devotional mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Bold black outlines, Viṣṇu with large expressive eyes, Kaumodakī rendered as stylized golden form, flat temple-wall composition with red/yellow/green dominance, ornate jewelry patterns, rhythmic decorative borders suggesting protective power.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Central Viṣṇu with lotus and mace motifs framed by intricate floral borders, gold highlights, symmetrical temple-arch backdrop, peacocks and lotuses as auspicious fillers, deep blue ground with ornate textile patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","low drum pulse","wind through flags","brief resonant silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महासुरविनाशिनी = महा + असुर + विनाशिनी (समास).
FAQs
Kaumodakī is the traditional name of Lord Viṣṇu’s mace (gadā), a divine weapon symbolizing his power to uphold dharma and destroy adharma.
It reflects iconographic convention: Purāṇic descriptions often detail the placement of Viṣṇu’s attributes (weapons and symbols) by hand, aiding visualization and devotional contemplation.
It highlights Viṣṇu’s protective role: the divine power that removes formidable forces of chaos (asuras) and restores cosmic and moral order (dharma).