Shloka 16
Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven
Ethical Catalog of Destinies
क्षेत्रवृत्तिगृहच्छेदं प्रीतिच्छेदं च ये नराः । आशाच्छेदं प्रकुर्वंति ते वै निरयगामिनः
kṣetravṛttigṛhacchedaṃ prīticchedaṃ ca ye narāḥ | āśācchedaṃ prakurvaṃti te vai nirayagāminaḥ
क्षेत्रवृत्तिगृहच्छेदं प्रीतिच्छेदं च ये नराः । आशाच्छेदं प्रकुर्वंति ते वै निरयगामिनः
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa ethical instruction; commonly framed in the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue in this section of the Padma Purāṇa)
Concept: Adharma that deprives others of land, livelihood, shelter, affection, and hope leads to naraka; protecting others’ basic supports is a core duty.
Application: Avoid exploitation in property, employment, tenancy, and inheritance; do not weaponize relationships; practice truthful contracts, fair wages, and restorative help when others are vulnerable.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village boundary at dusk: a greedy man tears down a humble hut’s threshold stones while a farmer’s plough lies broken, and a family’s faces show shattered hope. Above, unseen karmic judges cast long shadows, suggesting the weight of naraka for those who sever livelihood and affection.","primary_figures":["wrongdoer (symbolic)","dispossessed family","village elder (witness)","Yama’s emissaries (subtle, shadowed)"],"setting":"rural boundary fields with a small thatched home, broken fence posts, scattered grain, and a distant temple spire reminding of dharma","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["smoky indigo","dusty ochre","ashen gray","deep maroon","lamp-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a moral tableau at a village threshold—dispossessed family before a broken hut, the wrongdoer clutching land deeds; in the upper register, Yama’s attendants appear in stylized clouds as karmic warning; gold leaf embellishment on temple spire and halo-like dharma motifs, rich reds/greens, ornate borders, gem-studded accents on symbolic scales of justice.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate brushwork showing terraced fields and a small hut; expressive faces of the poor, a sly figure removing boundary markers; cool twilight palette with lyrical naturalism, distant hills, and a tiny shrine; subtle celestial figures in the sky as moral consequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, earthy pigments; central panel with the helpless family and the wrongdoer; secondary panel with Yama’s court hinted in iconographic shorthand; temple-wall aesthetic, large expressive eyes, red/yellow/green dominance with dark indigo shadows.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic dharma composition—lotus borders and floral vines framing a village scene; in the upper center, a small Vishnu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) indicating divine witness; intricate patterns, deep blues and gold, peacocks at the border as moral sentinels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","evening wind","soft drum (mridangam) pulse","brief silence after 'nirayagāminaḥ'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्षेत्रवृत्तिगृहच्छेदम् = क्षेत्र + वृत्ति + गृह + छेदम् (समास; छेद-आदि परे च्छेद-रूपम्); प्रीतिच्छेदम् = प्रीति + छेदम्; आशाच्छेदम् = आशा + छेदम्; प्रकुर्वंति (पाठभेद) = प्रकुर्वन्ति.
FAQs
It condemns depriving people of essentials—land, livelihood, and shelter—and also destroying social-emotional supports like affection and hope.
It states a direct karmic outcome: those who commit such harmful deprivations are destined for niraya (hell), emphasizing moral accountability.
Protect others’ property and livelihood, avoid unjust dispossession, and do not break relationships or crush hope—since these are treated as grave sins with severe consequences.