Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
The Vena Episode
Sunīthā’s Lament, Counsel on Fault, and the Turn toward Māyā-vidyā
देवानमंतितं देवमृषयो वेदपारगाः । आदित्यः कुष्ठसंयुक्तस्त्रैलोक्यं च प्रकाशयेत्
devānamaṃtitaṃ devamṛṣayo vedapāragāḥ | ādityaḥ kuṣṭhasaṃyuktastrailokyaṃ ca prakāśayet
Para resi yang telah menguasai Weda memuji Tuhan yang ilahi itu. Dan Āditya, meski terserang kusta, tetap menerangi tiga dunia.
Narratorial verse (speaker not explicit in the provided excerpt)
Concept: True divinity is recognized by sustaining the worlds; even when afflicted, the cosmic function continues—steadfastness in one’s ordained role (svadharma).
Application: Maintain your duty and beneficence even amid personal hardship; let your ‘light’ (clarity, integrity, service) continue to benefit others.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A circle of Veda-knowing ṛṣis, seated on kusa-grass mats, raise their hands in stuti toward a radiant Āditya. Though his body bears pale leprosy marks, his halo blazes with unwavering brilliance, casting light across three layered realms—earth below, mid-sky with birds, and a faint celestial tier above.","primary_figures":["Veda-pāraga ṛṣis","Āditya (Sūrya-deva)"],"setting":"Hermitage clearing at the edge of a sacred grove, with a distant horizon showing the three-world cosmology in symbolic bands.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["molten gold","saffron orange","ash white","deep indigo","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Āditya seated on a lotus-throne with an immense gold-leaf prabhāmaṇḍala, subtle pale leprosy markings rendered with restraint; ṛṣis in front with palm-leaf manuscripts and rudrākṣa/kamandalu, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on the deity, ornate arch framing the cosmic three-tier background.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene forest āśrama with delicate brushwork; ṛṣis in white and ochre, fine facial features, Āditya’s halo softly graded from gold to saffron; distant bands suggest bhūr-bhuvaḥ-svaḥ, cool blues and greens with lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; Āditya with large expressive eyes, circular radiant halo, stylized leprosy marks as pale patches; ṛṣis in rhythmic rows, temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green dominance and patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a central radiant sun-disc with lotus motifs, surrounding ṛṣis in devotional poses; intricate floral borders, deep blues and gold, peacocks and stylized clouds framing the three-world illumination theme (Krishna not central, but Vaishnava ornamental vocabulary retained)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","distant conch shell","morning birds","gentle wind in leaves","silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देवानमंतितं = देवान् + अमन्तितम्; देवमृषयः = देवम् + ऋषयः; कुष्ठसंयुक्तस्त्रैलोक्यं = कुष्ठसंयुक्तः + त्रैलोक्यम्
FAQs
It highlights a contrast: even amid affliction, Āditya continues his cosmic duty of illumination, underscoring steadiness in dharma and the inexhaustible function of divine order.
“Veda-pāragāḥ” refers to sages who have fully mastered the Vedas—those regarded as authoritative seers and teachers—whose praise signals doctrinal and ritual legitimacy.
The verse points to constancy in one’s ordained role: like the Sun that still shines despite suffering, one should uphold duty and remain oriented toward the divine even in adversity.