Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 8
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
नाशयामो वयं यज्ञान्धर्मयज्ञं न संशयः । सुब्राह्मणान्परित्यज्य देवं नारायणं प्रभुम्
nāśayāmo vayaṃ yajñāndharmayajñaṃ na saṃśayaḥ | subrāhmaṇānparityajya devaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ prabhum
ഞങ്ങൾ യജ്ഞങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കും—ധർമ്മയജ്ഞത്തെയും; സംശയമില്ല. സുദ്ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, പരമപ്രഭുവായ ദേവ നാരായണനോട് വിമുഖത വന്നാൽ.
Uncertain from the single-verse excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 50).
Concept: When society abandons righteous brāhmaṇas and forsakes Nārāyaṇa, even ‘dharma-yajña’ becomes vulnerable and collapses.
Application: Keep spiritual life rooted in devotion and ethical community; do not reduce religion to empty ritual or social performance divorced from the Lord and the virtuous.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacrificial hall stands half-dark, its altar fire sputtering as if starved of ghee, while shadowy beings gesture triumphantly toward a fading mantra-sound. Above, a distant, radiant silhouette of Nārāyaṇa recedes like a sun behind clouds, symbolizing forsaken devotion.","primary_figures":["dānavas/rākṣasas (triumphant)","brāhmaṇas (withdrawn or absent, implied)","Nārāyaṇa (distant, luminous, withdrawing presence)"],"setting":"Yajña-śālā with extinguishing flames, scattered ritual implements, and a broken rhythm of chant","lighting_mood":"eclipse-like dimness with a far-off divine glow","color_palette":["storm-cloud blue","smoke white","tarnished gold","blood red","charcoal black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand yajña pavilion with ornate pillars and heavy gold leaf borders; the homa fire diminished, utensils scattered, and foreground dānavas in dramatic poses; in the upper panel, Nārāyaṇa in sapphire blue with gold halo turning away, emphasizing forsaken devotion; rich reds/greens, gem-like highlights, and stylized flames rendered with gold accents.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet, poignant scene of a ritual space losing its sanctity—thin smoke trails, priests absent, and small rākṣasa figures creeping in; in the sky, a pale, distant Nārāyaṇa form like a receding moon; delicate brushwork, cool palette, and refined architectural detail.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic Nārāyaṇa with bold outlines and radiant halo at the top, while below the yajña fire dwindles; dānavas with exaggerated eyes and angular limbs occupy the margins; earthy reds and yellows with deep green, temple-wall symmetry conveying cosmic withdrawal.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic composition where the yajña fire-lotus closes its petals as devotion is abandoned; dark figures encroach at the border; a small central medallion shows Nārāyaṇa as the true yajña-bhoktā; intricate floral borders, deep indigo and gold, stylized ritual motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["faltering Vedic chant","hissing embers","conch shell (distant, fading)","wind through pillars","ominous silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुब्राह्मणान्परित्यज्य = सुब्राह्मणान् + परित्यज्य (न् + प् → न्प्).
FAQs
It implies that ritual action (yajña) loses its sanctifying power when severed from its ethical and devotional foundations—respect for the righteous and devotion to Nārāyaṇa.
By presenting Nārāyaṇa as the supreme ‘prabhu’ and the indispensable support of dharma, it frames devotion to Viṣṇu as central, not optional, for religious life.
The verse stresses that abandoning virtuous guides (su-brāhmaṇas) and neglecting devotion to the divine leads to the collapse of dharma in practice, including the degradation of sacred rites.