Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 94
The Birth of King Pṛthu: Vena’s Fall, the Sages’ Churning, and Earth’s Surrender
ततः पृथुं द्विजश्रेष्ठ प्रजाः समभिदुद्रुवुः । विधत्स्वेति सुवृत्तिं नो मुनीनां वचनं तदा
tataḥ pṛthuṃ dvijaśreṣṭha prajāḥ samabhidudruvuḥ | vidhatsveti suvṛttiṃ no munīnāṃ vacanaṃ tadā
پھر، اے دُو بار جنم لینے والوں کے سردار، رعایا دوڑتی ہوئی پرتھو کے پاس جمع ہوئی اور بولی، “ہمارے لیے سُوورتّی—اچھی روزی اور منظم طریقِ زیست—قائم کیجیے۔” اس وقت مُنیوں کا یہی فرمان تھا۔
Narrator (within the Purāṇic dialogue; exact named speaker not specified in the provided verse)
Concept: Rājadharma: the king must establish सुवृत्ति—ordered livelihood and moral economy—for the welfare of subjects.
Application: When entrusted with authority (family/work/community), respond to collective needs by creating fair systems rather than ad hoc charity.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A crowded royal court where anxious villagers, farmers, and elders surge forward with folded hands, pleading for a stable way of life. Pṛthu sits poised yet compassionate, listening as sages stand nearby, their words guiding the moment toward dharmic governance.","primary_figures":["King Pṛthu","assembled subjects (prajā)","sages (munis)"],"setting":"royal sabhā with carved pillars, banners, and a central throne; petitioners gathered in concentric rows","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron ochre","deep maroon","burnished gold","indigo shadow","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: King Pṛthu enthroned in a jeweled sabhā, subjects with folded hands approaching in orderly lines, sages behind the throne holding palm-leaf manuscripts; heavy gold leaf halos, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate archways and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical court scene with delicate faces and soft textiles; Pṛthu listening calmly while villagers plead; cool architectural tones, fine linework, subtle shading, and a hint of distant hills beyond palace windows.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; Pṛthu centered with stylized crown and large expressive eyes, sages flanking him, prajā clustered below; red/yellow/green palette with rhythmic decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional court tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus vines; Pṛthu as dharmic ruler with attendants, petitioning prajā arranged symmetrically; deep blues and gold accents, ornamental patterns filling negative space."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["murmur of a crowd","temple bells","soft drum (mṛdaṅga) pulse","conch shell in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vidhatsveti = vidhatsu + iti (u + i → v + i; written as -sveti); dvijaśreṣṭha is a tatpuruṣa compound used in vocative.
FAQs
“Suvṛtti” can mean a good means of subsistence (livelihood) and, by extension, proper conduct and an orderly social-economic arrangement. Here it indicates the people’s request that Pṛthu institute stable, righteous living conditions.
It frames the ruler as responsible for establishing public welfare—ensuring that society has a just, sustainable way to live, guided by dharma and the counsel of sages.
The verse implies that righteous rule is ideally aligned with wise counsel: the munis’ “word” functions as moral and spiritual guidance for the king’s policies and social order.