Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 22
Umā’s Austerity, Kauśikī’s Manifestation, and Skanda’s Birth Leading to Tāraka’s Defeat
कोपकंपितमूर्द्धा सा प्रस्फुरद्दशनच्छदा । उमोवाच । स्यात्सर्वं दोषदानेन निंदायां गुणिनो बलात्
kopakaṃpitamūrddhā sā prasphuraddaśanacchadā | umovāca | syātsarvaṃ doṣadānena niṃdāyāṃ guṇino balāt
क्रोध से काँपते मस्तक और दाँतों पर थरथराते अधरों वाली उमा बोली—“निन्दा करते समय, सच्चे गुणी के तेज से, दोषारोपण करने वाले पर ही सब दोष लौट आता है।”
Umā (Pārvatī)
Concept: Slander rebounds: in nindā, the doṣa returns upon the fault-finder, especially when the target is truly guṇin (virtuous).
Application: Do not indulge in gossip or character assassination; if anger arises, speak only what is true, beneficial, and timely; cultivate appreciation of others’ virtues.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Umā stands with controlled fury, head trembling, lips quivering, yet her eyes blaze with moral certainty. Behind her, the air itself forms a mirrored echo: words spoken as dark arrows curve back like boomerangs toward the slanderer, while a luminous aura surrounds the truly virtuous one, untouched.","primary_figures":["Umā (Pārvatī)","Śiva (as listener, calm)","a shadowy ‘slanderer’ figure (symbolic)"],"setting":"A rocky Himalayan āśrama terrace with a small sacred fire and stone seats; the atmosphere charged with ethical gravity.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["crimson","smoky violet","gold leaf","snow white","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Umā in dynamic posture with expressive eyes, Śiva seated serenely, gold leaf halos and ornate jewelry; visual metaphor of curved dark speech-arrows returning to a shadow figure; rich reds/greens, embossed gold detailing on garments and aura.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate emotional realism—Umā’s trembling anger rendered with delicate linework, Śiva’s calm composure, subtle visual metaphor of returning arrows in the sky; cool mountain background with warm highlights on faces.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and dramatic facial expression for Umā, stylized returning arrow motifs, flat pigments with strong reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall composition emphasizing dharma teaching.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders; central moral tableau with decorative arrow-boomerang motifs and a protective luminous mandala around the virtuous; deep blues and gold, lotus motifs subtly reinforcing purity of the guṇin."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strikes","mridangam accents","wind surge","brief silence after key line"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कोपकंपितमूर्द्धा = कोप + कंपित + मूर्द्धा (bahuvrīhi). प्रस्फुरद्दशनच्छदा = प्रस्फुरत् + दशन + छदा (bahuvrīhi). उमोवाच = उमा + उवाच. स्यात्सर्वं = स्यात् + सर्वम्.
FAQs
It teaches that blaming or slandering a virtuous person rebounds on the critic—fault-finding becomes the critic’s own demerit rather than diminishing the truly good.
Umā (Pārvatī) is speaking, described as visibly angered—her head trembles and her lips quiver—before delivering a moral warning about slander.
It suggests that genuine virtue has an intrinsic moral force: attempts to malign such a person do not stain them; instead, the negativity accrues to the one who utters it.