Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 42
Narrative of Sumanā: The Quest for a Worthy Son and the Karmic Roots of Poverty
पालितं लोभमेवैकं त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सदैव हि । तस्माद्दुःखी भवाञ्जातो दरिद्रेणातिपीडितः
pālitaṃ lobhamevaikaṃ tyaktvā dharmaṃ sadaiva hi | tasmādduḥkhī bhavāñjāto daridreṇātipīḍitaḥ
Kasakiman lamang ang iyong inaruga, at laging tinalikuran ang dharma. Kaya ikaw ay naging dukha sa dalamhati, at matinding pinahihirapan ng kahirapan.
Unspecified (contextual speaker not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Sustained greed and abandonment of dharma mature into suffering and deprivation; inner vice produces outer affliction.
Application: Treat wealth as stewardship: earn ethically, give regularly, and keep dharma-based routines (worship, charity, ancestral duties) to prevent compulsive scarcity-mindset.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-wealthy householder sits amid an empty granary, clutching a small pouch of coins while a dark, smoky figure of Lobha coils around him like a serpent. In the background, a neglected altar and unlit lamp symbolize abandoned dharma; a faint sunrise suggests the possibility of reform.","primary_figures":["impoverished householder","personified Lobha (serpent/smoke form)","symbolic Lakṣmī presence as distant fading glow"],"setting":"Rural home with cracked storage jars, silent courtyard, and a small shrine corner left unattended.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["dusty umber","smoke black","faded gold","pale saffron","dawn rose"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: poignant daridratā scene with ornate yet subdued detailing; gold leaf used sparingly on the last coins and a distant halo of Śrī; rich maroon and olive garments, embossed shrine motifs, dramatic contrast between neglected lamp and faint divine glow.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet sorrow in a simple courtyard; delicate textures of empty jars and worn cloth; the Lobha-serpent rendered as a subtle shadow; cool grays with a gentle pink dawn, refined facial melancholy, minimalism emphasizing consequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, symbolic clarity—Lobha as a dark serpent aura; the abandoned shrine with a stylized lamp; strong earthy reds and yellows muted by black shading; narrative panel feel like a temple moral fresco.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral tableau framed by lotus borders; central figure small against patterned emptiness; gold highlights on a distant Śrī-Nārāyaṇa emblem to imply the lost alignment; deep blue border with floral filigree, peacocks subdued, devotional symbolism turned into warning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["low temple drone (tanpura)","soft bell at cadence","wind through courtyard","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: लोभमेवैकं → लोभम् एव एकम्; तस्माद्दुःखी → तस्मात् दुःखी; भवाञ्जातो → भवान् जातः; दरिद्रेणातिपीडितः → दरिद्रेण अतिपीडितः.
FAQs
It teaches that prioritizing greed while abandoning dharma leads to suffering, symbolized here as the oppression of poverty.
In this moral framing, poverty is presented as a consequence of adharma-driven greed; it is an ethical warning rather than a universal economic rule.
It advises replacing greed with dharmic conduct—honesty, restraint, and right livelihood—so that one’s life is not dominated by distress and deprivation.