Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 31
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
सर्वकर्मविहीनं च गतवित्तादिसंचयम् । भर्तारं न त्यजेन्नारी यदि श्रेय इहेच्छति
sarvakarmavihīnaṃ ca gatavittādisaṃcayam | bhartāraṃ na tyajennārī yadi śreya ihecchati
แม้สามีจะไร้งานสิ้นเชิง และสูญเสียทรัพย์สมบัติทั้งปวง หากนางปรารถนาความเกื้อกูลแท้ในชาตินี้ นางไม่พึงละทิ้งสามี
Unspecified (narrative instruction within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; exact speaker not provided in the input)
Concept: A wife should not abandon her husband even when he is unemployed and impoverished, if she seeks true welfare in this life.
Application: Practice commitment and compassionate partnership during hardship; support family members through loss of status/wealth; seek counsel and ethical means rather than desertion.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A modest home interior: a woman sits beside her weary husband in a nearly empty room, offering him water and reassurance while a small lamp burns steadily. Outside the doorway, symbols of lost wealth—an empty granary, a pawned ornament—contrast with the quiet dignity of unwavering companionship.","primary_figures":["Wife (steadfast caregiver)","Husband (impoverished, discouraged)"],"setting":"Simple household room with a small oil lamp, sparse utensils, and a threshold showing hardship outside.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","earth brown","indigo shadow","ivory","muted gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: intimate domestic dharma scene—wife offering water and comfort to her seated husband; small lamp with gold-leaf glow; ornate but restrained border, rich reds and greens, delicate jewelry details, halos subtly indicating virtue rather than divinity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender interior with soft shading; the wife’s calm face and the husband’s humbled posture; cool indigo shadows with warm lamp light; fine textile patterns, lyrical realism, emotional restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; expressive eyes conveying compassion; warm lamp at center; simplified household elements; red-yellow-green palette with earthy browns, temple-wall moral narrative feel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic household sanctity—central lamp and lotus motifs around the couple; border of floral vines suggesting steadfastness; deep blue ground with gold and amber highlights, intricate decorative framing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","gentle lamp crackle","night insects","distant temple bell","quiet breathing pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वकर्मविहीनम् = सर्व + कर्म + विहीनम्; गतवित्तादिसंचयम् = गत + वित्त + आदि + संचयम्; त्यजेन्नारी = त्यजेत् + नारी; श्रेय इहेच्छति = श्रेयः + इह + इच्छति (visarga sandhi: श्रेयः + इह → श्रेय इह).
FAQs
It teaches steadfastness in marital commitment: a wife is advised not to abandon her husband even in hardship, presenting fidelity and perseverance as a form of dharma that leads to one’s welfare.
“Śreyaḥ” means true welfare or the higher good, and “iha” means “here (in this world).” Together, the phrase indicates that such conduct is said to bring beneficial outcomes even in one’s present life.
No. This śloka is primarily a moral instruction related to household life and does not reference deities, sacred places, or cosmological geography.