Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 83
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
तथैव बालवैधव्या दासीत्वमुपगच्छति । द्विज उवाच । कन्यादानफलं ब्रूहि वद दास्याः फलं च यत्
tathaiva bālavaidhavyā dāsītvamupagacchati | dvija uvāca | kanyādānaphalaṃ brūhi vada dāsyāḥ phalaṃ ca yat
उसी प्रकार अल्पवय में विधवा हुई स्त्री दासीभाव को प्राप्त होती है। ब्राह्मण ने कहा—“कन्यादान का फल बताइए और दासीदान का फल भी कहिए।”
Dvija (a Brahmin interlocutor) — questioner
Concept: Dāna (gift) and social duty must be evaluated by their phala; neglect of dharma leads to degradation and dependence.
Application: Treat giving and marriage-related customs as responsibilities, not transactions; protect the vulnerable; ask for scriptural guidance before acting.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned dvija, seated on a kusa-mat in a quiet hermitage hall, raises a grave question about the fate of a young widow and the moral fruits of gifts. In the background, a veiled young woman sits in shadow, symbolizing vulnerability, while palm-leaf manuscripts and a small Vishnu shrine suggest scriptural authority and Vaishnava orientation.","primary_figures":["Dvija (questioner)","Young widow (symbolic figure)","Sage-assembly or learned elders (silent witnesses)","Small icon of Vishnu (shrine presence)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama teaching pavilion with manuscripts, yajña utensils, and a modest tulasi planter near a lamp","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","saffron ochre","leaf green","smoke gray","lamp gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a solemn dvija in white dhoti with sacred thread seated before a low wooden manuscript stand, gesturing in inquiry; a small Vishnu shrine with gold-leaf halo and deep red backdrop; the young widow in muted tones at the edge, jewel-like ornamentation on the shrine, rich greens and maroons, gold leaf embellishment highlighting lamp flames and Vishnu’s aura.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate hermitage scene under sal trees, cool greens and soft browns; refined faces, the dvija’s raised hand in questioning mudra; a quiet, lyrical composition with a small Vishnu icon and tulasi pot; distant hills and a thin stream, gentle naturalism and restrained emotion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm yellow and red ground; the dvija with expressive eyes and clear sacred thread, a stylized tulasi planter and lamp; Vishnu icon with strong green-blue body tone and ornate crown; the widow figure rendered in subdued palette to convey karuṇa.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional teaching courtyard framed by lotus and floral borders; a small central Vishnu shrine with deep blue and gold; attendants and cows in the periphery as auspicious motifs; the dvija in front, the widow figure subtly placed, intricate textile-like patterning and temple-lamp ambiance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","low temple bell","soft silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथैव = तथा + एव; दासीत्वमुपगच्छति = दासीत्वम् + उपगच्छति; कन्यादानफलं = कन्या-दान-फलम् (समास); भवेद्ध्रुवम् इत्यादि अन्यत्र।
FAQs
The verse transitions into a discussion on the karmic “fruit” (phala) of different forms of giving (dāna), specifically kanyā-dāna (giving a maiden in marriage) and giving a female servant.
The speaker is identified as a “dvija” (a twice-born, typically a Brahmin), who asks the next teacher/narrator to explain the merits of these gifts.
It frames social vulnerability—such as early widowhood—alongside servitude, and then asks about the religious valuation of donations involving persons, prompting a dharma-oriented evaluation of intention, harm, and merit.