Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 16
The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
Vṛtra’s Death, Indra’s Sin, and Brahmin Censure
सुरापानं कुरुष्वेह पिबस्व मधुमाधवीम् । तामुवाच विशालाक्षीं रंभां शशिनिभाननाम्
surāpānaṃ kuruṣveha pibasva madhumādhavīm | tāmuvāca viśālākṣīṃ raṃbhāṃ śaśinibhānanām
“Uminom ka rito ng alak—inumin mo ang pulot na mādhavī.” Gayon niya kinausap si Rambhā, ang malalaking mata, na ang mukha’y tulad ng buwan.
Unspecified speaker addressing Rambhā (apsaras)
Concept: Temptation often arrives clothed in beauty and sweetness; discernment is tested before any overt fall occurs.
Application: Treat flattering invitations to harmful habits as a dharma-test; pause, remember vows/values, and choose restraint over social pressure.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a jeweled celestial pavilion, Rambhā—large-eyed and moon-faced—extends a golden cup of honeyed mādhavī wine toward a hesitant learned man. The moment is suspended between fragrance and peril: garlands sway, anklets chime, and the cup gleams like a small sun, inviting a single fateful sip.","primary_figures":["Rambhā (apsaras)","learned brāhmaṇa youth (unnamed)","attendant gandharvas (optional)"],"setting":"Celestial court/pavilion with lotus-carved pillars, silk drapes, flower-strewn floor, wine vessel on a low gem-inlaid table","lighting_mood":"moonlit with soft divine radiance","color_palette":["lotus pink","pearl white","sapphire blue","antique gold","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Rambhā with large expressive eyes and moonlike face offers a gold cup of mādhavī wine to a hesitant brahmin youth; ornate arch and lotus pillars behind, heavy gold leaf embellishment on jewelry and cup, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry, intricate floral borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical palace terrace under a cool moon, Rambhā in delicate translucent garments extending a small golden cup; the brahmin youth recoils slightly with a raised palm; fine brushwork, refined faces, soft gradients, distant hills and flowering trees, cool blues and pale pinks, intimate narrative mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and stylized eyes, Rambhā offering the cup in a temple-like celestial hall; flat yet vibrant natural pigments—red, yellow, green—ornate jewelry patterns, lotus motifs, rhythmic composition emphasizing the gesture of temptation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate pavilion framed by lotus vines and floral borders; Rambhā offering a golden cup, peacocks and flowering creepers around; deep indigo background with gold detailing, intricate textile-like patterning, devotional-meets-narrative aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft ankle bells","distant lute (veena)","perfumed breeze implied by chimes","low temple bell undertone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुरुष्वेह = कुरुष्व + इह; तामुवाच = ताम् + उवाच; शय्यांते इत्यादिवत् अत्र न।
FAQs
Rambhā is a famous apsaras (celestial nymph) in Sanskrit literature, often appearing in narratives involving allure, temptation, or tests of virtue.
It refers to a honey-sweet intoxicating drink—often understood as mādhavī wine (a springtime/flower-associated liquor), emphasized here as alluring and pleasant.
The verse presents an invitation to intoxication as a form of enticement; in Purāṇic storytelling this commonly functions as a narrative device to test restraint (saṃyama) and discernment (viveka).