Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 15
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
अनेनापि न मे कार्यं दुष्टपुत्रेण सांप्रतम् । औषधीं पृच्छते सा तु गर्भपातस्य सर्वतः
anenāpi na me kāryaṃ duṣṭaputreṇa sāṃpratam | auṣadhīṃ pṛcchate sā tu garbhapātasya sarvataḥ
บัดนี้ข้าไม่ข้องเกี่ยวกับเขาอีก—บุตรผู้ชั่วร้ายนั้น; นางจึงเที่ยวไต่ถามทุกแห่งหนถึงสมุนไพรยาที่จะทำให้แท้งครรภ์
Unspecified (context-dependent narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; exact speaker cannot be confirmed from the single verse alone)
Concept: Condemning an unborn being as 'wicked' and seeking miscarriage as a solution illustrates how fear can rationalize violence; dharma requires restraint and recourse to righteous means.
Application: Do not let labels ('evil', 'hopeless') justify unethical action; seek compassionate, lawful, and spiritually grounded solutions.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a bustling herb-market and forest edge, the mother figure questions healers and gatherers, her eyes sharp with desperation. Bundles of roots and leaves hang like talismans; yet a shadow follows her, suggesting that the act sought is not healing but rupture of dharma.","primary_figures":["the mother figure (Padmāvatī or unnamed)","herb-gatherers","village healer/vaidya"],"setting":"forest fringe and marketplace with baskets of herbs, mortar and pestle, scrolls of remedies","lighting_mood":"forest dappled with uneasy overcast","color_palette":["leaf green","earth brown","charcoal gray","saffron cloth","pale turmeric yellow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a richly ornamented yet distressed queen questioning a vaidya; gold leaf on jewelry and borders; heaps of herbs rendered in stylized clusters; dramatic contrast between auspicious gold and ominous dark aura near the womb; temple-like framing with carved pillars.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: detailed herb market with delicate brushwork; subtle expressions—tight lips, furrowed brow; Himalayan-like forest backdrop; muted greens and browns with refined textile patterns; narrative clarity without excess ornament.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of herb bundles, stylized healer holding a palm-leaf manuscript; the mother figure in strong profile; flat pigments and ornamental border; symbolic dark cloud motif near the abdomen indicating intent of 'garbha-pāta'.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: floral border of medicinal leaves and lotuses; central scene of questioning a healer; deep blue background with gold highlights; intricate patterns on baskets; devotional aesthetic contrasted with morally tense narrative."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["market murmur","rustling leaves","mortar grinding","sharp drum strokes","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अनेनापि = अनेन + अपि; दुष्टपुत्रेण = दुष्ट-पुत्रेण; गर्भपातस्य = गर्भ-पातस्य।
FAQs
The speaker rejects any association with a “wicked son,” and reports that a woman is searching everywhere for an herb intended to cause a miscarriage.
No. The verse narrates actions and attitudes in a tense moral context; it does not present a prescriptive endorsement, and the tone suggests disapproval or alarm.
It highlights the destructive consequences of immoral conduct within family life—alienation from kin and the escalation of harmful decisions—serving as a cautionary reflection on dharma and responsibility.