Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 11
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
पतिव्रताभयेनापि विष्णोः सुब्राह्मणस्य च । नश्यंति दानवाः सर्वे दूरं राक्षसपुंगवाः
pativratābhayenāpi viṣṇoḥ subrāhmaṇasya ca | naśyaṃti dānavāḥ sarve dūraṃ rākṣasapuṃgavāḥ
പതിവ്രതയുടെ ഭയത്താലും, വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെയും ധർമ്മനിഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെയും പ്രഭാവത്താലും, എല്ലാ ദാനവരും നശിക്കുന്നു; ശ്രേഷ്ഠരായ രാക്ഷസർ ദൂരത്തേക്ക് ഓടിപ്പോകുന്നു।
Unspecified (context not provided for the dialogue frame in this excerpt)
Concept: Awe of pativratā virtue, Viṣṇu, and righteous brāhmaṇas destroys dānavas and drives rākṣasas away.
Application: Create a life where harmful impulses ‘flee’: keep devotional remembrance, ethical discipline, and uplifting company; cultivate reverence that naturally displaces vice.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wave of luminous force rolls outward from Viṣṇu, a brāhmaṇa, and a pativratā woman standing together like a living mantra. Dānavas crumble into smoke while rākṣasa chiefs sprint into the far distance, their banners torn by the wind of sanctity.","primary_figures":["Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa)","righteous brāhmaṇa","pativratā woman","dānavas (disintegrating)","rākṣasa-puṅgavas (fleeing leaders)"],"setting":"Open ground near a sacred enclosure—half ritual space, half cosmic battlefield—where light pushes back darkness","lighting_mood":"blazing divine radiance after a storm","color_palette":["electric gold","midnight blue","incense smoke gray","crimson banner red","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu central with gold-leaf aura and ornate crown, flanked by a brāhmaṇa and pativratā; dānavas dissolving into stylized smoke at their feet; rākṣasa leaders fleeing toward the horizon; heavy gold embellishment, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments, dramatic motion captured in traditional iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dynamic yet refined scene—small figures of fleeing rākṣasas across a pale landscape, while the central trio stands calm and radiant; delicate brushwork shows smoke-like dissolution of dānavas; cool sky with warm central glow, lyrical movement and fine textile detail.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical central trio with intense halos; peripheral rākṣasas in dark tones running outward; dānavas depicted as collapsing forms; bold outlines, natural pigments, temple-wall narrative clarity with strong reds and yellows against deep greens.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Viṣṇu-centered devotional tableau with lotus borders; concentric radiance rings push dark figures to the edges; fleeing rākṣasas become small motifs near the border, as if expelled from the sacred cloth-space; deep indigo, gold detailing, intricate floral patterns and symbolic motion lines."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch blast","temple bells crescendo","drum (mridanga) accents","wind rush","sudden quiet after victory"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pativratābhayenāpi→pativratā + abhayena + api; rākṣasapuṃgavāḥ→rākṣasa + puṃgavāḥ (समास/समाहारः).
FAQs
It teaches that dharmic power—embodied by a pativratā (steadfastly devoted wife), devotion to Viṣṇu, and the sanctity of a righteous brāhmaṇa—repels and destroys demonic forces.
The verse pairs divine protection (Viṣṇu) with human dharma (a virtuous brāhmaṇa), presenting both spiritual authority and moral purity as forces that neutralize adharma.
Cultivating integrity, devotion, and respect for dharmic conduct is portrayed as protective—driving away harmful influences, both external (hostility) and internal (fear, vice).