Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 45
Prologue to the Suvrata Narrative: Revā (Narmadā) and Vāmana-tīrtha; Greed, Anxiety, and the Ethics of Trust
एवं न्यासं समुद्धर्तुः पुत्राः कांत भवंति वै । संसारे दुःखबहुला दृश्यंते यत्रतत्र च
evaṃ nyāsaṃ samuddhartuḥ putrāḥ kāṃta bhavaṃti vai | saṃsāre duḥkhabahulā dṛśyaṃte yatratatra ca
یوں جو شخص امانت (نِیاس) میں خیانت کر کے اسے ہڑپ کر لے، اس کے بیٹے یقیناً قابلِ رحم ہو جاتے ہیں؛ اور اس دنیا میں وہ جگہ جگہ دکھوں سے بھرے ہوئے نظر آتے ہیں۔
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue common in the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Breach of trust (nyāsa-apahāra) poisons family destiny: the wrongdoer’s children become pitiable, wandering in misery—karma ripples through lineage and society.
Application: Never misuse entrusted resources; build a legacy through integrity, because dependents inherit consequences of one’s choices (reputation, stability, inner samskaras).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sorrowful procession of children in worn garments wanders through marketplaces and crossroads, watched by indifferent crowds—an image of inherited misfortune. Above them, an unseen scale of justice balances a sealed deposit box against a broken oath, teaching that trust once violated echoes through generations.","primary_figures":["Pitiable children of the trust-breacher","Indifferent townsfolk (background)","Allegorical Scale of Dharma (symbolic)"],"setting":"Town crossroads with a small public platform, merchants’ stalls, and a distant temple gateway—society witnessing the fruit of adharma.","lighting_mood":"muted daylight with moral gravity","color_palette":["dusty beige","slate blue","faded vermilion","brass gold","smoke white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central group of wandering children with pleading eyes at a bustling crossroads; symbolic deposit casket and broken seal shown prominently; gold leaf on a dharma-scale motif hovering above, ornate borders in red and green; temple gateway in background to suggest the path of return through dharma and devotion.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle yet poignant scene of children moving through a town square, delicate architecture and soft hills beyond; subdued palette, refined faces conveying quiet suffering; symbolic casket and broken seal placed in foreground as narrative clue; lyrical realism emphasizing compassion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized children in a line, expressive eyes; market and temple gate simplified into iconic forms; natural pigments with ochre and blue-gray; dharma-scale symbol above rendered in traditional mural iconography.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: processional composition of children across a patterned ground, framed by intricate floral borders; symbolic deposit box motif repeated like a textile emblem; deep blue and gold accents; subtle Vaishnava corner emblems to imply that dharma upheld is itself worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["market murmur (soft)","temple bell in distance","footsteps","brief hush on key moral phrase"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दृश्यंते = दृश्यन्ते (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद); यत्रतत्र = यत्र + तत्र (द्विरुक्त-अव्ययप्रयोग)
FAQs
It condemns taking or misappropriating what was entrusted for safekeeping, presenting it as a serious ethical breach with karmic consequences.
The verse stresses that unethical acts can have far-reaching social and karmic repercussions, affecting one’s family and being visible as suffering in worldly life.
Honor trust: never take what is deposited with you, and treat others’ property as inviolable; integrity in guardianship is portrayed as essential to dharma.