Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 28
Nahusha’s Challenge to Hunda and the Mustering of Battle
इंद्रायुधसमं चापं विस्फार्य स गुणस्वरम् । वज्रस्फोटसमः शब्दश्चापस्यापि महात्मनः
iṃdrāyudhasamaṃ cāpaṃ visphārya sa guṇasvaram | vajrasphoṭasamaḥ śabdaścāpasyāpi mahātmanaḥ
اس نے اندردھنش کے مانند کمان کو کھینچا؛ اس کی ڈور سے گونج دار جھنجھناہٹ اٹھی۔ اُس مہاتما کی کمان کی آواز بھی بجلی کے کڑاکے جیسی تھی۔
Narrator (contextual epic narration within the chapter; specific dialogue speaker not explicit from the single verse)
Concept: When inner qualities (guṇa-svara) are aligned, even a single act (drawing the bow) becomes a proclamation of dharma.
Application: Let your ‘string-sound’ be integrity: cultivate skill so that your presence itself reassures allies and deters wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Nahusha draws back a magnificent bow shimmering like Indra’s rainbow, its curve catching prismatic light amid storm-dark air. The bowstring releases a resonant twang that ripples outward like a thunderbolt’s crash, visibly shaking banners and sending dust spiraling in concentric waves.","primary_figures":["Nahusha (mahātmā)","Dānavas (momentarily stunned)","Indra (symbolic presence via rainbow/vajra motifs)"],"setting":"Battlefield under a charged sky where a faint rainbow arcs through storm clouds; scattered chariots and standards tremble from the sonic shock.","lighting_mood":"lightning-split divine radiance","color_palette":["prismatic rainbow hues","electric violet","deep indigo","silver white","molten gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Nahusha centered with a rainbow-like bow rendered in enamel-bright colors, heavy gold leaf outlining the arc; thunderbolt motifs embossed in gold around the bowstring; stunned Dānavas in darker tones; rich red-green textiles, gem-studded ornaments, radiant aureole and ornate frame.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate rainbow wash across a moody sky, fine linework for the taut bowstring; subtle depiction of sound-waves as curved dust lines; Nahusha poised with refined facial calm; cool mountain-like horizon and lyrical cloud forms.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized rainbow band behind the hero; the bowstring sound shown as rhythmic concentric curves; strong reds/yellows/greens with deep blue background; expressive eyes and symmetrical heroic stance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central rainbow bow as a decorative arch, thunderbolt patterns in the border; lotus motifs interwoven with cloud scrolls; deep blue ground with gold highlights and pink lotuses; peacocks at corners reacting to the thunderous nāda."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunderclap","bowstring snap","conch shell","temple bells","wind rush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चापं = च + आपम् (here ‘च’ is conjunction, but orthographically cāpaṃ; interpret as ‘चापम्’ with preceding ‘च’ not separate in IAST line—however verse reads ‘... samaṃ cāpaṃ ...’ = समम् + चापम्); शब्दश्चापस्यापि = शब्दः + च + चापस्य + अपि (visarga sandhi: शब्दः + च → शब्दश्च).
FAQs
In Sanskrit literature, ‘indrāyudha’ commonly evokes the rainbow—brilliant, arcing, and awe-inspiring—so the simile highlights the bow’s radiant form and grandeur.
It emphasizes overwhelming power and intensity: the bow’s twang is portrayed as thunderbolt-like, signaling the hero’s formidable strength and the gravity of the moment.
Primarily it is vivid action-description (alaṅkāra via simile), but it also reinforces a common Purāṇic theme: righteous power (when wielded by a ‘mahātmā’) carries divine-like potency and commands reverence.