Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 12
The Aśokasundarī–Nahuṣa Episode: Demon Stratagems, Protection by Merit, and Lineage Prophecy
इतो गच्छ दुराचार यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि । अन्यथा त्वामहं शप्स्ये पुनरेव न संशयः
ito gaccha durācāra yadi jīvitumicchasi | anyathā tvāmahaṃ śapsye punareva na saṃśayaḥ
اگر جینا چاہتا ہے تو اے بدکردار، یہاں سے چلا جا؛ ورنہ میں تجھے پھر سے شاپ دوں گی—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔
Unspecified (context-dependent admonisher within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: Dharma sometimes speaks as firm command: remove adharma from sacred space; the power of śāpa is a dharmic instrument when grounded in satya and tapas.
Application: Set clear boundaries with harmful people; use firm, truthful speech and consequences rather than enabling wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the threshold of a sanctified chamber, the tapasvini stands with an outstretched palm, commanding the wicked one to depart. Behind her, a lamp and altar glow steadily; before her, the dānava recoils as if struck by invisible syllables—mantra-like, sharp, and final.","primary_figures":["tapasvini woman (admonisher)","dānava (wicked one)"],"setting":"threshold between sanctum and dark corridor; protective liminal space","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit foreground against a shadowed background","color_palette":["golden amber","deep umber","crimson","dark emerald","chalk white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the woman at a doorway under a gold-leaf arch, hand raised in commanding gesture, sacred lamp and altar behind; the dānava stepping back into darkness, ornate jewelry catching minimal light; rich reds/greens with embossed gold emphasizing the authority of dharmic speech.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a liminal doorway scene with delicate architecture, the woman’s gesture crisp and composed, the dānava half-turned in retreat; cool shadow gradients, refined faces, subtle depiction of ‘spoken curse’ as thin white-gold script lines in the air.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures, the woman’s commanding stance central, stylized doorway and lamp motifs; strong red/yellow/green palette, rhythmic composition showing the dānava pushed outward by the force of words.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: threshold framed by lotus and protective mandala borders; the woman as central guardian figure, the dānava moving toward a border of thorny vines; deep blues and gold, intricate floral patterns, symbolic script-like motifs representing śāpa."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["single conch blast","firm bell strike","footsteps retreating","lamp flame and silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जीवितुमिच्छसि = जीवितुम् + इच्छसि; त्वामहं = त्वाम् + अहम्; पुनरेव = पुनः + एव
FAQs
It delivers a moral warning: abandon wicked conduct and leave immediately, or face the consequence of a curse.
Yes. It underscores accountability: adharmic behavior leads to swift spiritual and social consequences, symbolized here by a curse.
The speaker is not identifiable from the single verse alone; in the Padma Purana it would depend on the surrounding narrative in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 109.