Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 10

Exposition of Sin and Merit

Sumanas Episode: Yama’s Realm and Rebirths

Devanagari script

पीतवासं गदाहस्तं रक्तगंधानुलेपनम् । रक्तमाल्यकृताभूषं गदाहस्तं भयंकरम्

Transliteration

pītavāsaṃ gadāhastaṃ raktagaṃdhānulepanam | raktamālyakṛtābhūṣaṃ gadāhastaṃ bhayaṃkaram

Translation

زرد لباس پہنے، ہاتھ میں گدا لیے، سرخ خوشبودار لیپ سے معطر؛ سرخ ہاروں کو زیور بنائے—گدا بردار وہ نہایت ہیبت ناک دکھائی دیا۔

Word by Word

• pītavāsam: wearing yellow garments
• pītavāsam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (पीतं वासः यस्य/पीतवासा); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifying the deity (yama)

• gadāhastam: having a mace in hand
• gadāhastam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (गदायुक्तः हस्तः यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• raktagaṃdhānulepanam: smeared with red-scented unguent
• raktagaṃdhānulepanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṃdha (प्रातिपदिक) + anulepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रक्तगन्धेन अनुलेपनम्/अनुलेपनयुक्तः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• raktamālyakṛtābhūṣam: adorned with ornaments made of red garlands
• raktamālyakṛtābhūṣam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + mālya (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ābhūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रक्तमाल्येन कृतानि आभूषणानि यस्य/रक्तमाल्यकृताभूषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gadāhastam: mace-in-handed
• gadāhastam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (repeated epithet)

• bhayaṃkaram: terrifying
• bhayaṃkaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (भयं करोति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (context not provided in the excerpt; speaker uncertain)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Power and authority (gada, ornaments, garments) become instruments of moral order; fear arises from the certainty of consequence, not randomness.

Application: Let the ‘terrifying beauty’ of consequence refine choices: avoid harm, intoxication, deceit; cultivate habits that withstand scrutiny.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fearsome deity stands in rigid authority: yellow garments flare against the soot-dark court, while a heavy mace rests in his hand like a final verdict. Red unguents and garlands glow with ritual intensity, turning ornament into omen as the figure’s gaze pins the viewer with uncompromising law.","primary_figures":["Dharmarāja (Yama)"],"setting":"Close-up iconographic portrait within a shadowed judgment hall; minimal background to emphasize attributes—mace, garments, garlands, unguents.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit with harsh highlights","color_palette":["mustard yellow","vermilion red","burnt umber","blackened bronze","dark maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: iconic single-figure Dharmarāja holding a gada, clad in bright yellow with thick red garlands, gold-leaf halo and embossed jewelry; rich red-green backdrop, ornate arch frame, gem-like highlights, traditional South Indian deity portrait composition with dramatic contrast.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined portrait of Yama with gada, subtle shading on yellow cloth, delicate rendering of red sandal/unguents and garlands; restrained background wash, fine facial detailing, quiet menace conveyed through posture and eyes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figure with gada, stylized yellow vastra and red garlands, patterned ornaments; flat yet powerful color fields, temple-wall symmetry, characteristic large eyes and rhythmic linework.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central standing figure with gada framed by ornate floral borders; deep indigo ground with gold accents, red garlands rendered as repeating motifs, textile-like patterning on garments, devotional iconography adapted to Dharmarāja theme."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["single temple bell strikes","low drone (tanpura)","faint conch resonance","stillness"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: Compounds resolved: pīta-vāsa, gadā-hasta, rakta-gaṃdha-anulepana, rakta-mālya-kṛta-ābhūṣa, bhayaṃ-kara.

FAQs

What kind of figure is suggested by the imagery of yellow garments and a mace?

In Purāṇic iconography, yellow garments (pītāmbara) and the mace (gadā) commonly signal a Viṣṇu/Vaiṣṇava-associated divine or semi-divine form, though the specific identity depends on the surrounding verses.

Why does the verse emphasize red fragrance, red garlands, and a terrifying appearance?

These details heighten the immediacy and intensity of the vision: red unguents and garlands mark a striking, ritualized adornment, while “terrifying” underscores the awe-inspiring, potentially wrathful or formidable aspect of the manifested form.

What ethical or devotional lesson can be drawn from a fearsome divine description?

Such descriptions often teach reverence and humility: the divine is not merely comforting but also overwhelming in power, prompting the devotee to approach with discipline, purity, and surrender.