Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 29
The Nature of Knowledge, the Guru as Living Tīrtha, and the Law of Final Remembrance
मम संसर्गिभिः सर्वैर्वयस्यैः साधुचारिभिः । बिडालेन हतः पक्षी तेनैव भक्षितो हि सः
mama saṃsargibhiḥ sarvairvayasyaiḥ sādhucāribhiḥ | biḍālena hataḥ pakṣī tenaiva bhakṣito hi saḥ
Di hadapan semua sahabatku yang berperilaku baik, seekor burung dibunuh oleh kucing, dan sungguh burung itu dimakan oleh kucing yang sama.
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses; likely a narrator reporting an incident within a dialogue frame)
Concept: Even among the well-conducted, suffering can occur; witnessing violence exposes the limits of social virtue without deeper spiritual refuge.
Application: Do not assume ‘good surroundings’ guarantee safety; cultivate inner refuge through prayer and ethical readiness to respond compassionately to harm.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A circle of young companions, calm and well-dressed, freezes in horror as a cat pins a small bird to the ground. The cat’s jaws close; the bird’s feathers scatter, and the friends’ faces show the helplessness of virtue when confronted with sudden brutality.","primary_figures":["the narrator’s companions (vayasyāḥ sādhucāriṇaḥ)","a cat (biḍāla)","a small bird (pक्षी/śuka implied)"],"setting":"forest edge clearing with trampled grass, fallen blossoms, and a path leading back to habitation","lighting_mood":"overcast hush","color_palette":["ash gray","forest green","bloodless white","rust brown","midnight black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: moral tableau with a semicircle of companions in ornate garments, gold leaf accents on jewelry and scattered flowers; the cat and bird central, rendered with high contrast; expressive faces, temple-panel storytelling composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined group portrait in a forest clearing; subtle emotion in eyes and hand gestures; delicate depiction of feathers and leaves, cool muted palette, narrative intimacy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized companions with large expressive eyes; the predation scene simplified into emblematic forms; strong outlines, earthy pigments, didactic clarity like a mural episode.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical scene framed by ornate floral borders; companions arranged symmetrically; the cat and bird central; deep blues/greens with gold highlights on flowers, symbolic rather than graphic violence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"somber","sound_elements":["sudden hush of birds","dry twig snap","distant wind","soft gasp of onlookers","silence after the act"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वैर्वयस्यैः = सर्वैः + वयस्यैः; तेनैव = तेन + एव; verse uses passive-result participles हतः, भक्षितः with instrumental agents बिडालेन/तेन.
FAQs
It states that a cat killed a bird in front of the speaker’s companions and then ate the bird itself.
It can serve as a brief illustration of violence leading directly to consumption/benefit for the aggressor, often used in Purāṇas to frame discussions on conduct (ācāra), harm (hiṃsā), and the moral weight of actions.
Mentioning well-conducted companions highlights the social setting and moral contrast—an act of killing is noted as occurring even before respectable witnesses, strengthening the narrative’s tone for an ensuing moral or doctrinal point.