Shloka 41
Narrative of Sumanā: The Quest for a Worthy Son and the Karmic Roots of Poverty
धर्ममार्गं न दृष्टं ते श्रुतं नैव कदा त्वया । लोभो मातापिता भ्राता लोभः स्वजनबांधवाः
dharmamārgaṃ na dṛṣṭaṃ te śrutaṃ naiva kadā tvayā | lobho mātāpitā bhrātā lobhaḥ svajanabāṃdhavāḥ
Engkau tidak pernah melihat jalan dharma, dan tidak pula pernah mendengarnya. Bagimu, ketamakan itulah ibu dan bapa, ketamakan itulah saudara; ketamakan semata-mata menjadi kaum kerabat dan sahabatmu.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Padma Purana, Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: When greed becomes one’s ‘family,’ dharma is neither seen nor heard; moral perception collapses under lobha.
Application: Audit motivations: before decisions, ask whether greed is acting as ‘advisor.’ Replace compulsive acquisition with dana (charity), seva, and regulated consumption.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern sage-like figure stands before a man whose shadow is shaped like a grasping hand—symbolizing lobha as his ‘family.’ Behind them, a faint luminous path labeled ‘dharma-mārga’ recedes into mist, unseen by the greed-bound man whose eyes are fixed on coins spilling from a broken pot.","primary_figures":["admonishing sage/elder","greed-bound householder","personified Lobha (symbolic shadow)"],"setting":"A liminal crossroads: one side a dim household hoard, the other a radiant path with subtle Vaiṣṇava symbols (conch, lotus) in the air.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["charcoal black","burnished gold","ash white","indigo blue","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: moral allegory scene with a radiant dharma path and a figure of Lobha as a dark aura; gold leaf on coins, haloed sage, and conch-lotus motifs; rich reds and greens, ornate jewelry, embossed borders, traditional South Indian devotional aesthetics.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined allegorical composition at a mountain crossroads; delicate rendering of the sage’s gesture and the man’s averted gaze; cool blues and grays with a thin ribbon of golden light marking dharma-mārga; lyrical trees and distant peaks, subtle symbolism rather than heavy iconography.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat pigments; the sage’s commanding posture and the man’s greed-shadow clearly stylized; strong red/yellow/green palette with black Lobha aura; temple-wall narrative clarity with decorative floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central admonition scene framed by lotus vines and tulasi garlands; conch and chakra motifs in the border; deep blue ground with gold highlights on the dharma path; peacocks and cows in the margins as reminders of Vaiṣṇava refuge, intricate floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp hand cymbals (tāla)","brief conch shell accent","tense silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव → न एव; स्वजनबांधवाः → स्वजनबान्धवाः (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-लेखनभेद).
FAQs
It condemns a life dominated by lobha (greed), stating that such a person has no relationship with dharma—greed replaces all rightful guides and bonds.
Greed is personified as one’s closest relations—mother, father, brother, and kinsmen—showing total dependence on and identification with greed.
The verse is primarily ethical and didactic rather than sectarian, emphasizing dharma over vice; it can support broader Purāṇic teachings that virtue is foundational for spiritual life.