Shloka 39
शुनो विगृह्य हस्तेन म्लेच्छानां भक्षणप्रियाः । विशेषात्सूकराणां च तथा च रणयोधिनां
śuno vigṛhya hastena mlecchānāṃ bhakṣaṇapriyāḥ | viśeṣātsūkarāṇāṃ ca tathā ca raṇayodhināṃ
കൈകൊണ്ട് പിടിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് നായകൾ—ഭക്ഷണപ്രിയർ—വിശേഷിച്ച് മ്ലേച്ഛരെ, അതുപോലെ പന്നികളെ, കൂടാതെ യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിലെ യോദ്ധാക്കളെയും (ആക്രമിച്ച്) ഭക്ഷിക്കാൻ പ്രവൃത്തിക്കുന്നു.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 76)
Concept: Tāmasic predation manifests as violence and indiscriminate devouring, especially in liminal social zones and wartime; adharma intensifies where restraint collapses.
Application: Avoid dehumanizing 'othering' and the appetite for conflict; cultivate compassion, regulate anger, and practice protective rather than predatory strength.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tense battlefield edge: warriors clash amid dust, while boars charge through broken undergrowth and feral dogs snatch at fallen remains, gripping with their forepaws as if hands. In the background, a boundary settlement suggests the 'mleccha' frontier—torches, rough palisades—conveying a world where dharma’s protections have thinned.","primary_figures":["Warriors in battle","Boars","Feral dogs","Boundary settlers (optional)"],"setting":"Dusty battlefield near a rough frontier outpost; scattered weapons, trampled earth, torn banners.","lighting_mood":"thunder","color_palette":["blood red","dust ochre","iron grey","smoke black","torch amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dynamic battle tableau with stylized warriors and charging boars, feral dogs in the lower register; gold leaf accents on armor and banners, dramatic composition framed by ornate borders, rich reds and dark greens, iconographic clarity despite motion.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: compact battlefield scene with fine detailing of weapons and expressions, muted dust palette, lyrical but tense movement lines, distant hills and a palisade settlement, restrained use of red to mark danger.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and rhythmic forms of warriors, boars, and dogs, flat pigments with strong reds/yellows, patterned border, expressive eyes and dramatic gestures, temple-mural narrative energy.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical 'Kali' battlefield framed by floral borders that become thorny near the bottom; deep blue-black ground with gold highlights, animals rendered as symbolic motifs of tamas, a faint lotus medallion above suggesting the lost ideal of peace."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["war drums","conch blast","clashing metal","howling wind","sudden silence"]}
FAQs
This single verse excerpt does not identify the speaker by itself. In Padma Purana, speakers are often established earlier in the chapter (e.g., a sage narrating to a listener). To name the speaker reliably, the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 76 are needed.
The verse describes aggressive, devouring behavior—stating that dogs seize and consume, with special mention of mlecchas (outsiders/foreigners), and also referencing boars and warriors in battle—suggesting a context of danger, predation, or conflict.
In many Sanskrit texts, “mleccha” is a broad label for outsiders or those considered non-Vedic/foreign in language or custom. The precise nuance in this verse depends on the chapter’s larger narrative and whether it is describing a social observation, a polemical contrast, or a situational warning.