Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 3
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
दैत्याचारेण वर्तामि जाने विद्यामनुत्तमाम् । वेदशास्त्रार्थवेत्तास्मि कलासु निपुणः पुनः
daityācāreṇa vartāmi jāne vidyāmanuttamām | vedaśāstrārthavettāsmi kalāsu nipuṇaḥ punaḥ
«Procedo segundo os costumes dos Daityas, e ainda assim conheço um saber sem par. Sou conhecedor do sentido dos Vedas e dos śāstras, e também sou hábil nas artes.»
Unspecified (a self-describing speaker within the narrative context of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 50)
Concept: Knowledge and skill do not sanctify conduct; śāstra-jñāna without dharma becomes a tool for ego and harm.
Application: Audit whether your learning increases compassion, restraint, and devotion; if not, redirect study into practice (seva, satya, ahimsa).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A proud, articulate daitya stands amid scrolls and ritual implements, gesturing as if lecturing on Veda and śāstra, while shadows behind him hint at predatory instincts. The composition contrasts luminous manuscripts with a darker aura around the speaker’s heart, showing knowledge split from virtue.","primary_figures":["Self-describing Daitya speaker","Silent ascetic witness (optional)"],"setting":"A makeshift court or camp near a hermitage—palm-leaf manuscripts, a veena, and weapons placed side by side, signaling ‘arts’ and aggression intertwined.","lighting_mood":"chiaroscuro—knowledge-lit foreground, shadowed background","color_palette":["parchment beige","ink black","bronze","peacock blue","smoldering maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a daitya scholar-warrior holding palm-leaf manuscripts and gesturing confidently, surrounded by symbolic arts (veena, painting palette) and weapons, gold leaf highlighting the manuscripts and ornaments, rich reds/greens, with a subtle dark halo behind to show moral dissonance, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined figure of a daitya in elegant attire, seated among manuscripts and art tools, delicate brushwork showing expressive eyes and a faintly troubled smile, cool landscape beyond, lyrical naturalism contrasting serene scenery with the speaker’s inner contradiction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; the daitya shown with stylized eyes and elaborate jewelry, manuscripts and śāstra symbols rendered in flat pigments, a two-tone background—bright ochre near the texts and deep red-brown behind the figure—suggesting knowledge vs. asuric conduct.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotus and creepers framing a central figure holding scriptures; decorative motifs of peacock feathers and floral patterns, deep blue ground with gold highlights, symbolic rather than literal—knowledge as a lotus that can be sullied by ego."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft drone (tanpura)","page rustle","distant conch","low wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दैत्याचारेण = दैत्य-आचारेण (तत्पुरुषसमासः)। विद्यामनुत्तमाम् = विद्याम् अनुत्तमाम् (म् + अ → म् अ)। वेदशास्त्रार्थवेत्तास्मि = वेदशास्त्रार्थवेत्ता अस्मि।
FAQs
It contrasts outward behavior (“Daitya-like conduct”) with claims of inner learning and mastery of scripture and arts, highlighting the tension between knowledge and ethical conduct.
It implies that scriptural knowledge and skill are not sufficient if one’s conduct is unguided by dharma; true refinement is measured by behavior, not merely learning.
The phrase “vedaśāstrārthavettā” intensifies the irony: even deep interpretive scholarship can coexist with improper conduct, serving as a caution against pride in learning.