Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 10
Signs at the Death of Sinners and the Approach of Yama’s Messengers
सतान्दृष्ट्वा प्रकंपेत खिद्यते च मुहुर्मुहुः । शिवासंनादवद्घोरान्महारावान्महामते
satāndṛṣṭvā prakaṃpeta khidyate ca muhurmuhuḥ | śivāsaṃnādavadghorānmahārāvānmahāmate
Melihat mereka, seseorang akan menggigil dan berulang kali menjadi gundah, wahai yang berhikmah besar; kerana raungan mereka amat menggerunkan dan menggelegar, seperti lolongan serigala.
Unspecified narrator within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue (vocative addressed to 'mahāmate')
Concept: Sin generates terror and distress at the time of capture/death; fear is the experiential fruit of adharma.
Application: Use fear as a diagnostic: if actions require secrecy or harm others, abandon them; cultivate daily remembrance of Viṣṇu and ethical restraint to avoid a fearful end.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowy infernal corridor opens into a vast cavern where terrifying beings loom; the air vibrates with thunderous roars like jackals howling in a desolate night. A trembling human figure recoils, hands raised, while distant silhouettes of Yama’s agents advance through swirling ash and smoke.","primary_figures":["Yama-dūtas (messengers of Yama)","a terrified sinner (human figure)"],"setting":"Naraka-like cavernous passage with jagged rocks, iron gates, drifting smoke, and echoing darkness","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["charcoal black","smoke gray","blood red","cold indigo","ashen white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dramatic infernal gateway with stylized iron arches and ornamental flames; Yama-dūtas with exaggerated fierce eyes and ornate weapons, gold leaf highlights on jewelry and gate motifs, rich crimson and deep green accents, the trembling human figure rendered with devotional iconographic clarity despite the fearsome theme.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a nocturnal rocky ravine with delicate brushwork and misty gradients; jackal-like silhouettes and echoing roars suggested through lyrical lines, refined faces showing fear, cool indigo sky and muted reds, sparse vegetation and distant cliffs creating a haunting Himalayan-like emptiness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and large expressive eyes on the dūtas, swirling smoke patterns, natural pigment reds/yellows/greens over a dark ground, temple-wall aesthetic flames framing the scene, the human figure in pale tones contrasted against the infernal backdrop.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition where fear is shown through swirling floral borders turning into thorny vines; deep blue-black background with gold highlights, stylized jackal motifs in the border, central figures simplified yet ornate, lotus motifs faintly submerged to suggest lost purity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder","howling jackals","wind through caverns","distant conch shell (faint, ominous)","heavy drum pulse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सतान्दृष्ट्वा = सतान् + दृष्ट्वा; मुहुर्मुहुः पुनरुक्तिः; शिवासंनादवद्घोरान् = शिवासंनादवत् + घोरान्; महारावान्महामते = महारावान् + महामते।
FAQs
It emphasizes fear and agitation—trembling and repeated distress—triggered by a terrifying sight and dreadful roaring sounds.
Jackal howls are a conventional literary marker of dread, wilderness, and ominous atmosphere; the simile intensifies the sense of danger and foreboding.
The verse functions as a cautionary depiction of panic in the face of danger, implicitly valuing steadiness of mind and discernment when confronted with frightening circumstances.