Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 40
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
मम रूपं विपश्यंति लोकाः कुत्संति भामिनि । न ददंते च मे भिक्षां पापा चेयं समागता
mama rūpaṃ vipaśyaṃti lokāḥ kutsaṃti bhāmini | na dadaṃte ca me bhikṣāṃ pāpā ceyaṃ samāgatā
Melihat rupaku, orang ramai memandang hina aku, wahai wanita jelita. Mereka tidak memberi aku sedekah pun—takdir berdosa ini telah menimpaku.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (a lamenting female speaker addressing 'bhāmini')
Concept: Judging by appearance and refusing alms is adharma; misfortune is not proof of sin, and compassion must override disgust.
Application: Do not equate poverty, illness, or disfigurement with moral failure; practice respectful giving and speech, especially toward those who cannot repay.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a row of doorways, townspeople recoil as the beggar woman approaches; faces twist in contempt while hands pull doors inward. The woman stands exposed in the street, clutching her bowl, her eyes reflecting both shame and a quiet accusation against the city’s hardened heart.","primary_figures":["female beggar (narrator)","mocking townspeople","a compassionate onlooker (optional, foreshadowing)"],"setting":"Doorways and thresholds with domestic abundance visible inside—pots, lamps, grain—contrasted with the empty bowl outside.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ashen blue","lamp gold","brick red","shadow violet","pale bone"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic threshold scene with gold-leaf lamps and ornate doorframes; townspeople with stylized expressions of disdain; the beggar woman centered, bowl highlighted, tears suggested through delicate lines; rich reds/greens with gold embellishment emphasizing the irony of wealth without compassion.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate street vignette with refined facial expressions—subtle contempt in onlookers, restrained sorrow in the woman; cool nocturnal palette with warm lamp pools; delicate brushwork capturing social cruelty without caricature.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and expressive eyes; contrasting gestures—hands refusing, doors closing; the beggar’s posture dignified despite rejection; warm lamp-lit yellows against deep blues, temple-wall aesthetic intensity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—closed doors as repeating motifs, the empty bowl as central icon; ornate floral borders and lotus patterns framing a moral lesson; deep indigo background with gold highlights and stylized figures."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["door bolts sliding","whispers of scorn","distant temple bell","heavy silence after refusal"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चेयं = च + इयम्; रूपं विपश्यंति = रूपम् + विपश्यन्ति (m+v sandhi); भिक्षां पापा = भिक्षाम् + पापा (m+p sandhi).
FAQs
It portrays the suffering of one who is socially despised and denied alms, framing it as a painful consequence of a “sinful fate,” which aligns with Purāṇic reflections on karma and compassion.
'Bhikṣā' means alms—basic charitable food or support. The verse highlights a breakdown of compassion and generosity when society judges by outward appearance.
Do not despise people based on appearance or condition, and do not withhold basic charity; compassion and dāna (giving) are upheld as essential virtues.