Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 30
Viṣṇu’s Māyā and the Stratagem Against Vihuṇḍa
with the Kāmodā–Gaṅgādvāra motif
पृच्छमानः स दुष्टात्मा कामबाणैः प्रपीडितः । पप्रच्छ भार्गवं गत्वा भक्त्या नमित कंधरः
pṛcchamānaḥ sa duṣṭātmā kāmabāṇaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ | papraccha bhārgavaṃ gatvā bhaktyā namita kaṃdharaḥ
وہ بدباطن شخص، خواہش کے تیروں سے ستایا ہوا، بھارگو کے پاس گیا اور عقیدت سے سر جھکا کر اس سے سوال کیا۔
Narrator (contextual; verse describes an action rather than direct speech)
Concept: Even a ‘wicked-minded’ person, when afflicted by desire, instinctively seeks refuge in a teacher; humility (bowed head) is the doorway to correction.
Application: When overwhelmed by impulses, seek counsel from a wise mentor; begin with humility and honest inquiry.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fierce-looking Dānava, visibly pierced by invisible arrows of Kāma, enters a serene hermitage. He lowers his head in an uncharacteristic act of devotion before the Bhārgava sage, whose calm presence makes the surrounding air feel still and corrective.","primary_figures":["Dānava seeker","Bhārgava (Śukra)"],"setting":"A quiet āśrama with kusa grass seats, a small sacrificial fire, palm-leaf manuscripts, and flowering creepers; deer and birds unafraid nearby.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["smoke white","sandalwood beige","forest green","saffron flame","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śukra seated on a raised kusa mat beside a small homa fire, holding a manuscript; the Dānava bows with folded hands, heavy ornaments catching gold leaf highlights; ornate arch with gold leaf, rich reds and greens, sacred implements (kamandalu, ladle) rendered with jewel-like detail.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil hermitage scene with fine brushwork—thin smoke from the fire, gentle animals, and the Dānava’s bowed posture showing inner turmoil; cool greens and soft browns, refined facial expressions, distant hills faintly visible.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, stylized āśrama flora; Śukra’s composed gaze contrasts with the Dānava’s agitated stance; symbolic ‘Kāma arrows’ as decorative motifs near the Dānava’s torso; warm pigment palette and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: hermitage framed by lotus borders; central act of bowing before the sage; peacocks and cows in the periphery, deep blue background with gold accents, floral vines curling around ritual objects."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling sacred fire","gentle birdsong","flowing water (nearby stream)","soft bell at āśrama entrance","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नमित कंधरः = नमितः कन्धरः (विसर्ग-लोप/पाठभेद; IAST kaṃdharaḥ = कन्धरः).
FAQs
“Bhārgava” is a title for a sage belonging to the Bhṛgu lineage; the verse indicates the seeker approached a revered Bhṛgu-descended teacher for counsel.
It is a classical Purāṇic metaphor: desire (Kāma) is pictured as wounding or tormenting the mind like arrows, indicating overpowering passion driving the person’s actions.
Even when motivated by troubled desire, a person turns toward guidance by approaching a wise teacher respectfully; the verse contrasts inner impurity (duṣṭātmā) with the outward act of humility (bowing in bhakti), setting up a teaching on transforming desire through right counsel.