Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 39
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
तान्वयं शासयामो वै दंडेन महता किल । भवत्या दारुणं कर्म कृतमेव सुनिर्घृणम्
tānvayaṃ śāsayāmo vai daṃḍena mahatā kila | bhavatyā dāruṇaṃ karma kṛtameva sunirghṛṇam
അതുകൊണ്ട് ഞങ്ങൾ അവരെ മഹാദണ്ഡത്തോടെ തീർച്ചയായും ശിക്ഷിക്കും. കാരണം നീ അത്യന്തം ക്രൂരവും പൂർണ്ണമായും നിർദയവുമായ കർമ്മം ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നു.
Unspecified (context-dependent; likely a judge/authority figure addressing a woman, e.g., in a narrative dialogue)
Concept: Cruel, merciless acts invite strong corrective punishment; dharma includes accountability.
Application: When harm is done, prioritize protection of victims and restoration of order; avoid excusing cruelty as fate or custom.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tense tribunal scene: an authority figure rises, staff in hand, declaring a heavy punishment while the accused stands rigid, face half-shadowed, suggesting inner hardness. Behind the judge, a dharma emblem—scales or a radiant śāstra—glows, while onlookers recoil, underscoring the gravity of a 'dāruṇa' deed.","primary_figures":["judge/king","accused woman (or accused person)","court attendants","witnesses","a sage advisor"],"setting":"Stone-pillared court with carved dharma motifs, a raised dais, and a guarded threshold indicating imminent chastisement.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["iron gray","crimson","lamp gold","midnight blue","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic court tableau with the judge/king on a gold-arched throne, gold leaf halo; raised staff of authority; accused figure below with subdued posture; ornate pillars, rich reds and greens, gem-like highlights, intense chiaroscuro within traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate tribunal with delicate expressions—stern judge, anxious witnesses; muted mountain palette with deep blues and warm ochres; fine textile patterns; moral tension conveyed through posture rather than violence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, frontal judge with commanding eyes; accused figure in profile; stylized pillars and dharma symbols; red/yellow/green pigments with strong black contouring, temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic justice scene framed by lotus borders; central glowing śāstra motif above the court; figures arranged in balanced rows; deep indigo background with gold and vermilion accents, intricate floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["staff strike (implied)","tense silence","temple bell (single)","low drum","murmurs fading"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तान्वयम् = तान् वयम्; कृतमेव = कृतम् एव; सु-निर्घृणम् treated as intensifying prefix सु + adjective निर्घृण.
FAQs
It condemns cruelty and emphasizes accountability: merciless actions invite punishment and moral reckoning under dharma.
Daṇḍa refers to chastisement or punitive discipline used to uphold dharma—restoring order when wrongdoing occurs.
The term intensifies the moral judgment, indicating the action lacked compassion entirely, making it especially blameworthy and deserving of correction.