Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 82
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
तुलाधार उवाच । यावज्जनाः प्रतिष्ठंति ममैव सन्निधौ द्विज । तावन्मे स्वस्थता नास्ति यावच्च रात्रियामकः
tulādhāra uvāca | yāvajjanāḥ pratiṣṭhaṃti mamaiva sannidhau dvija | tāvanme svasthatā nāsti yāvacca rātriyāmakaḥ
तुलाधार ने कहा—“हे द्विज! जब तक लोग मेरे ही सन्निधि में ठहरे रहते हैं, तब तक मुझे चैन या कुशलता नहीं मिलती—रात्रि के एक प्रहर भर भी नहीं।”
Tulādhāra
Concept: Service to others and social obligations can erode inner ease; dharma requires discernment, boundaries, and a turn toward the truly sustaining refuge.
Application: If constant demands drain you, create sacred intervals (japa, pūjā, silence) and learn to serve without losing health and clarity.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Tulādhāra, a merchant-sage, stands behind a weighing scale, his face gentle yet tired, as petitioners and customers crowd his doorway. He turns to a brāhmaṇa with honest candor, confessing that he finds no ease even for a single night-watch while people remain gathered around him.","primary_figures":["Tulādhāra (merchant-sage)","brāhmaṇa (dvija)","townspeople/petitioners"],"setting":"merchant’s shopfront with balance scales, sacks of grain, cloth bundles; a small shrine niche in the background hinting at devotion","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky bronze","sandalwood beige","sapphire blue","vermilion","lamp gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Tulādhāra with a balance scale, surrounded by supplicants; gold leaf on the scale, lamp, and jewelry; rich maroon-green textiles; a small Viṣṇu icon in a niche behind him to show his inner refuge; expressive eyes conveying compassionate fatigue.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical shop-courtyard scene with delicate crowding; Tulādhāra’s weary serenity contrasted with bustling figures; soft evening tones; fine detailing of textiles and the scale; subtle emotional realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Tulādhāra in frontal pose with bold outlines; rhythmic arrangement of crowd; warm reds and yellows; a stylized lamp and shrine motif; emphasis on the moral expression in eyes and hand gestures.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel with ornate floral borders; include symbolic balance scale and a small tulasi pot near the shrine; deep blue and gold accents; crowd rendered as patterned silhouettes to keep focus on the sage-merchant."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low crowd hum","shop bell","night insects","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yāvajjanāḥ = yāvat + janāḥ; mamaiva = mama + eva; tāvanme = tāvat + me; yāvacca = yāvat + ca; rātriyāmakaḥ = rātri-yāmakaḥ.
FAQs
He expresses a sense of responsibility and lack of personal ease while others remain in his presence, implying vigilance in duty (especially toward guests or dependents).
It refers to a “watch of the night,” i.e., a division of nighttime; the verse uses it to stress that he cannot feel at ease even for a single night-watch.
No. The verse is framed as a dialogue line (Tulādhāra addressing a dvija) and focuses on personal duty rather than naming deities or sacred places.