Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 184
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
प्रायेण श्रीमदालेपान्नहुषाद्या महानृपाः । स्वर्गं प्राप्ता निपतिताः कः श्रिया विंदते सुखम्
prāyeṇa śrīmadālepānnahuṣādyā mahānṛpāḥ | svargaṃ prāptā nipatitāḥ kaḥ śriyā viṃdate sukham
โดยมากมหากษัตริย์ทั้งหลาย เช่น นหุษะ เป็นต้น เมามัวด้วยประกายแห่งศรีและความรุ่งเรือง ถึงสวรรค์แล้วก็ยังตกจากสวรรค์ ใครเล่าจะพบสุขอันยั่งยืนด้วยเพียงโชคและทรัพย์?
Unspecified (contextual narrator within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: Prosperity and even heavenly attainment are unstable; intoxication with ‘shri’ leads to downfall—lasting sukha is not found in fortune alone.
Application: Treat success as stewardship; practice gratitude and humility; pair wealth with dana, dharma, and Vishnu-bhakti to avoid pride-driven collapse.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Nahusha, radiant and crowned, ascends a jeweled stairway into Svarga, surrounded by apsaras and celestial garlands; yet beneath his feet the steps subtly crack like dried clay. In the next visual beat within the same frame, his crown tilts and he falls through a whirl of fading light, while Lakshmi’s glow withdraws toward a distant Vishnu-like radiance, implying that splendor without humility is unstable.","primary_figures":["King Nahusha","apsaras","devas (silhouetted)","Lakshmi’s departing aura (symbolic)","distant Vishnu radiance (symbolic)"],"setting":"celestial terrace with cloud-palaces, jeweled steps, and a vast sky opening into a downward vortex","lighting_mood":"blazing divine radiance turning to dim eclipse","color_palette":["celestial white","sun-gold","lotus pink","turquoise","shadow violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Svarga palace with heavy gold leaf, gem-like highlights on crown and ornaments; Nahusha centered with a radiant halo, apsaras in rich reds/greens; a dramatic diagonal showing the fall with dark violet clouds; Lakshmi-like glow receding toward a small Vishnu emblem in the upper corner, all embellished with gold leaf for contrast between true and false splendor.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: airy cloud architecture, delicate jewelry details; two-moment narrative in one frame—ascending and falling—using soft gradients; cool turquoise sky, lotus pink garlands, and a subtle violet shadow indicating impending fall; refined expressions shifting from pride to shock.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized celestial motifs; Nahusha’s posture proud then collapsing; strong yellow/red/green pigments with a sudden dark band of violet/black for the fall; symbolic Vishnu aura as a calm circular mandala above.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical—central lotus of true Sri near Vishnu symbols, while outer ring shows a crowned figure slipping from a cloud-throne; ornate floral borders, deep blues and gold, peacocks and lotuses framing the moral of impermanence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["celestial chimes","sudden hush","wind through clouds","single conch note fading"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रीमदालेपान्नहुषाद्या→श्रीमद्-आलेपात् नहुष-आद्याः; विंदते→विन्दते
FAQs
It teaches that prosperity and celestial rewards (like heaven) are unstable; attachment to splendor leads to downfall, so lasting happiness is not secured by wealth alone.
Nahuṣa is a well-known example of a ruler who rose to extraordinary status yet fell due to pride and misconduct, illustrating the danger of being intoxicated by fortune.
It cautions against arrogance and dependence on status or wealth, urging humility, self-restraint, and a search for steadier sources of well-being than external fortune.