Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 27
The Birth of King Pṛthu: Vena’s Fall, the Sages’ Churning, and Earth’s Surrender
नाध्येतव्यं न होतव्यं न देयं दानमेव च । न यष्टव्यं न होतव्यमिति तस्य प्रजापतेः
nādhyetavyaṃ na hotavyaṃ na deyaṃ dānameva ca | na yaṣṭavyaṃ na hotavyamiti tasya prajāpateḥ
“نہ پڑھنا چاہیے، نہ ہوم کرنا چاہیے، نہ دان دینا—حتیٰ کہ عطیہ بھی نہیں۔ نہ یَجْیَ کرنا، نہ آہُتی دینا”—یہی اُس پرجاپتی کا حکم تھا۔
Unspecified narrator (contextual narration within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; explicit dialogue speaker not given in this single verse)
Concept: A regime of negation—no study, no offering, no giving—destroys both inner refinement and social welfare.
Application: Counter ‘no-need’ cynicism with small consistent acts: daily learning, a simple offering, and regular charity; dharma survives through habits, not slogans.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A proclamation board in the marketplace bears a chilling list of prohibitions: ‘Do not study, do not offer, do not give.’ Around it, a withered sacred fig and an unlit altar mirror the drying of merit, while hungry petitioners and silent students drift away.","primary_figures":["herald/minister of the Prajāpati","villagers","brāhmaṇa student with unused manuscript","a poor petitioner turned away"],"setting":"town square near a small shrine and an extinguished homa-kunda; proclamation pillar at center","lighting_mood":"harsh noon light with bleak clarity","color_palette":["sun-bleached ochre","dry brown","iron gray","faded saffron","dust white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central proclamation pillar with ornate frame; figures in traditional attire reacting—students clutching manuscripts, the poor turned away; a small shrine with an unlit lamp; gold leaf used to highlight the sacred objects now neglected, creating poignant contrast; rich borders and architectural motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: marketplace scene with subtle social drama; delicate faces showing worry; pale sky, sparse trees; the proclamation text stylized; restrained palette emphasizing dryness and moral barrenness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold symmetrical composition—edict at center, people on either side; extinguished altar and closed manuscripts; strong black outlines, earthy pigments, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical ‘three lamps’ (study, offering, giving) shown extinguished around a central lotus; intricate floral border now rendered in muted tones; deep blue background with dull gold, emphasizing loss of auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["drum of proclamation (dull)","wind","distant temple bell (faint)","murmurs of crowd"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाध्येतव्यं = न + अध्येतव्यम्; होतव्यमिति = होतव्यम् + इति
FAQs
It describes an injunction attributed to a Prajāpati, portraying a period or rule where Vedic study (adhyayana) and ritual acts (homa/yajña) and even dāna are forbidden—typically used in Purāṇic narrative to contrast proper dharma with an obstructive or degenerate ordinance.
No. In Purāṇic contexts, such blanket prohibitions are usually situational—reporting a specific ‘rule’ or episode—rather than a universal condemnation of yajña, homa, or charity across all times and persons.
Ethically, it highlights how dharma can be disrupted by misguided injunctions; the implied lesson is to recognize the value of study, worship, and generosity, and to be wary of norms that suppress them without righteous cause.