Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 172
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
ब्रह्महत्या गृहीतेंद्रे पत्यौ ते दुःखभागिनि । नहुषापहृते राज्ये दृष्ट्वा त्वां याचयिष्यति
brahmahatyā gṛhīteṃdre patyau te duḥkhabhāgini | nahuṣāpahṛte rājye dṛṣṭvā tvāṃ yācayiṣyati
O ikaw na nababalot ng dalamhati—kapag ang iyong asawa na si Indra ay sinakmal ng kasalanang pagpatay sa brāhmaṇa, at kapag ang paghahari ay inagaw ni Nahusha, makikita ka niya at magmamakaawa sa iyo.
Unspecified (context-dependent narration/dialogue within the Adhyaya)
Concept: Even the king of gods suffers the fruits of grave sin; power is unstable without righteousness, and the innocent share the burden through relational karma.
Application: Do not rely on status; repair wrongdoing quickly through confession, restitution, and spiritual discipline; support loved ones without enabling their faults.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Indrāṇī stands in a celestial corridor as ominous shadows creep over Svarga’s jeweled halls. A prophetic figure gestures toward a distant vision: Indra, dimmed and burdened by brahmahatyā, while Nahūṣa ascends the throne; the future bends toward a moment where Indra will plead before Śacī.","primary_figures":["Indrāṇī (Śacī)","Indra (in a diminished, afflicted form)","Nahūṣa (as usurping king)","Prophetic speaker (sage/curse-giver)"],"setting":"Amarāvatī’s palace halls transitioning into a vision-scape of the throne room and a shadowed exile corner.","lighting_mood":"eclipsed divine radiance","color_palette":["pearl white","pale gold","storm blue","smoky gray","emerald highlights"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: triptych-like composition—Indrāṇī foreground with gold halo, middle panel showing Nahūṣa on Indra’s throne, background showing Indra afflicted by a dark aura labeled brahmahatyā; heavy gold leaf, ornate pillars, rich jewel tones subdued by gray shading.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant palace architecture with delicate arches; Indrāṇī’s sorrowful face in profile, a cloud-like prophetic vignette showing Nahūṣa enthroned and Indra humbled; cool blues and soft golds, lyrical melancholy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Indrāṇī’s large eyes brimming with restrained grief; symbolic dark serpent-like band around Indra indicating brahmahatyā; throne scene with Nahūṣa; red-yellow-green palette with shadow overlays.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panels around a central lotus medallion—panel of Svarga’s throne, panel of Indra’s affliction, panel of Indrāṇī’s sorrow; deep blue cloth, gold and white detailing, floral borders with slightly drooping lotuses to signal karuṇa."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft conch in distance","palace ambience hush","low drone (tanpura)","gentle bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गृहीतेंद्रे = गृहीत + इन्द्रे (समास/सन्धि); नहुषापहृते = नहुष + अपहृते; क्त्वा-प्रयोग: दृष्ट्वा।
FAQs
Indra is the king of the gods; Nahusha is a figure who, in the Indra-cycle narratives, assumes Indra’s sovereignty when Indra falls into disgrace or concealment due to brahmahatyā.
It underscores karmic consequence: grave wrongdoing (brahmahatyā) leads to loss of status and power, and restoration requires humility—approaching those wronged or relied upon with supplication.
Brahmahatyā is treated as a severe transgression that disrupts cosmic and social order; Purāṇic narratives use it to illustrate the binding force of dharma and the inevitability of moral repercussion even for exalted beings.