Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 57
The Aśokasundarī–Nahuṣa Episode: Demon Stratagems, Protection by Merit, and Lineage Prophecy
समेष्यति महाप्राज्ञस्तव भर्ता शुभानने । निहत्य दानवं हुंडं त्वामेवं परिणेष्यति
sameṣyati mahāprājñastava bhartā śubhānane | nihatya dānavaṃ huṃḍaṃ tvāmevaṃ pariṇeṣyati
โอ นางผู้มีพักตร์เป็นมงคล สามีของเจ้า—ผู้ทรงปรีชาญาณยิ่ง—จักมาถึง ครั้นปราบอสูรหุณฑะแล้ว เขาจักอภิเษกเจ้าเช่นนี้
Unspecified (context needed to identify the speaker within the dialogue frame of Adhyaya 109)
Concept: Dharma is restored through the defeat of adharma (demon Huṇḍa) and the establishment of a righteous household (vivāha).
Application: Confront harmful patterns decisively, then build stable commitments; let love be protected by integrity and responsibility.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The wise husband-hero returns with dust and glory, his weapon lowered after defeating the demon Huṇḍa whose dark form dissolves into smoke. The fair-faced bride stands beneath a floral canopy, relief and shy joy mingling as the moment turns from battlefield triumph to sacred marriage rites.","primary_figures":["the husband-hero (mahāprājña)","the bride (śubhānane)","demon Huṇḍa (defeated)","attendant priests or sages (optional)"],"setting":"A liminal space where a battlefield edge meets a wedding pavilion—victory banners on one side, a maṇḍapa with garlands and sacred fire on the other.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["victory gold","vermillion red","midnight black (for the demon’s fading)","jasmine white","royal blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene composition—left shows the hero standing over the vanquished demon Huṇḍa rendered in dark tones; right shows a wedding maṇḍapa with sacred fire, garlands, and the bride awaiting; heavy gold leaf on the hero’s halo and ornaments, rich reds/greens, gem-studded details, ornate arch framing the transition from vīra to śṛṅgāra.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant narrative continuity—hero approaches the maṇḍapa after battle, demon fading into a smoky corner; delicate brushwork on garlands and textiles, refined faces, soft dawn sky, lyrical romance emerging from heroism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and iconic poses; demon as a dark stylized figure at the margin, hero central with weapon and confident stance, bride under a patterned canopy; strong reds/yellows/greens with blue accents, temple-wall symmetry emphasizing auspicious resolution.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: wedding pavilion filled with lotus and floral borders; the demon’s defeat shown symbolically as a dark cloud pushed outside the border; central couple under a canopy with peacocks and cows in the margins, deep blue ground with gold and vermillion highlights, devotional auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["conch shell","victory drums","wedding shehnai (symbolic)","fire crackle","ululation-like festive calls"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महाप्राज्ञस्तव=महाप्राज्ञः+तव; त्वामेवं=त्वाम्+एवम्
FAQs
It foretells that the woman's destined husband will arrive, kill the demon Huṇḍa, and then marry her.
Huṇḍa is named as a dānava (demonic being) who must be slain before the marriage can occur.
It reflects the motif of restoring order by removing a harmful force (the demon) before establishing a rightful social and dharmic union (marriage).