Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 15
The Battle of Nahuṣa and Huṇḍa
within the Guru-tīrtha Glorification Episode
सुबाणैर्निशितैस्तीक्ष्णैः कंकपत्रैः शिलीमुखैः । हुंडेन ताडितो राजा सुबाह्वोरंतरे तदा
subāṇairniśitaistīkṣṇaiḥ kaṃkapatraiḥ śilīmukhaiḥ | huṃḍena tāḍito rājā subāhvoraṃtare tadā
Noon, ang hari ay tinamaan ni Huṇḍa ng mahuhusay na palaso—matatalim at matitinis, may balahibo ng buwitre, at tumatagos na gaya ng mga śilīmukha—sa pagitan ng kanyang dalawang bisig.
Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue speaker not explicit in the single verse provided)
Concept: In conflict, the first wound tests composure; the response reveals whether one is ruled by anger or by duty.
Application: When ‘hit’ by criticism or setback, notice the impulse to retaliate; choose measured action aligned with values and responsibility.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Huṇḍa releases a volley of razor-bright arrows, their vulture-feather fletching visible as they hiss through the air. The king reels as a shaft bites between his arms, yet his posture remains regal, the moment frozen between pain and resolve.","primary_figures":["Huṇḍa (dānava/warrior)","The king (nṛpa)"],"setting":"Close-up battlefield vignette with churned earth, broken chariot parts, and a tense corridor of air between archer and target.","lighting_mood":"hard noon glare with sharp highlights","color_palette":["burnished bronze","ashen beige","scarlet","obsidian","sunlit gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a tight central composition of Huṇḍa drawing a bow and the king struck between the arms, gold-leaf used to accent arrowheads and armor filigree, rich maroon and green textiles, jewel-like detailing on quiver and crown, stylized motion lines for the arrows.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant archer pose with fine bow curvature, delicate rendering of feathered arrows, pale sandy battlefield with sparse shrubs, expressive faces—Huṇḍa fierce, king steadfast—subtle shading and refined ornamentation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and rhythmic anatomy, arrows depicted as repeating golden motifs, the king’s torso marked by stylized wound-red, patterned garments, intense eyes and dramatic hand gestures, mural-like flat background with symbolic battlefield elements.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative repetition of arrows like floral stems, ornate border of lotus and creepers framing a central duel medallion, deep blue ground with gold highlights, textiles and ornaments rendered with intricate dot-work, the king’s crown and bow embellished like temple festival art."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["bowstring twang","whistling arrows","drum accents","crow calls","dusty wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुबाणैर्निशितैस्तीक्ष्णैः = सुबाणैः + निशितैः + तीक्ष्णैः; हुंडेन ताडितो = हुंडेन + ताडितः; सुबाह्वोरंतरे = सुबाह्वोः + अन्तरे; (visarga/avagraha sandhi normalized).
FAQs
Huṇḍa is presented as the attacker/warrior who strikes the king with arrows; the verse itself does not add further identification beyond naming him.
Kaṅka-patra refers to arrows fletched with vulture (kaṅka) feathers, while śilīmukha denotes a type of piercing arrow/shaft—both emphasize the lethality and martial detail of the scene.
It reinforces the Purāṇic-epic narrative mode in which kingship, conflict, and kṣatriya conduct are depicted through vivid martial imagery, setting up consequences and moral-political outcomes in the surrounding story.