Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 9
Narrative of King Pṛthu: Chastising and Milking the Earth
जगतोऽस्य हितार्थाय साधु चैव वसुंधरे । हनिष्ये त्वां शितैर्बाणैर्मद्वाक्यात्तु पराङ्मुखीम्
jagato'sya hitārthāya sādhu caiva vasuṃdhare | haniṣye tvāṃ śitairbāṇairmadvākyāttu parāṅmukhīm
اے زمین، دنیا کی بھلائی کے لیے میں تجھے تیز تیروں سے ماروں گا کیونکہ تو نے میرے حکم سے منہ موڑ لیا ہے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent; a ruler/warrior addressing Earth as Vasundharā)
Concept: When authority is exercised for jagat-hita (welfare of the world), even severe measures can be ‘sādhu’ (proper) if rooted in dharma.
Application: Before acting harshly, test motive: is it truly for collective welfare and aligned with ethical duty? If yes, act decisively; if not, restrain.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vasundharā stands as a regal goddess, yet turned away in refusal, while a warrior-king draws a bow whose arrows gleam like moral lightning. The scene balances compassion for the world with the terrifying clarity of dharmic enforcement—sharp arrows poised, not yet released.","primary_figures":["Vasundharā (Bhū-devī)","Warrior-king/protector with bow","Personified Dharma (optional emblematic figure)"],"setting":"A liminal battlefield-court: palace pillars behind the king, open sky and the curved horizon of Earth behind Bhū-devī; banners marked with conch and discus motifs.","lighting_mood":"thunder-lit dramatic glow","color_palette":["storm gray","electric gold","deep indigo","terracotta","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Bhū-devī in ornate crown and silk turns her face away; the king, haloed, draws a bow with gold-leaf arrows; heavy gilded borders, embossed jewelry, rich crimson-green textiles, conch-chakra motifs, dramatic posture frozen at the moment before release.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a tense yet elegant tableau—slender bow, fine arrowheads, Bhū-devī’s averted gaze; cool indigo sky with pale lightning streaks, delicate vegetation at the terrace edge, refined expressions conveying moral conflict rather than gore.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized bow and arrows with bold outlines; Bhū-devī’s large eyes turned aside; the king’s aura as a circular golden field; flat architectural backdrop with rhythmic patterns and traditional red-yellow-green palette accents.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central confrontation framed by lotus creepers; symbolic peacocks and cows in borders to signify Earth and dharma; deep blue ground with gold highlights; arrows rendered as radiant lines, emphasizing cosmic order over violence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["bowstring twang (suggested)","conch shell","kettle drum","wind gusts"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जगतोऽस्य = जगतः + अस्य; शितैर्बाणैः = शितैः + बाणैः; बाणैर्मद्वाक्यात्तु = बाणैः + मत्-वाक्यात् + तु; प्रीतोऽस्मि (in later verse) similar sandhi pattern.
FAQs
The verse uses personification of Earth to frame a moral-cosmic conflict: when the world’s order is obstructed, the speaker asserts corrective action as a duty performed for universal welfare.
It presents the idea that enforcing dharma may require firm measures; the speaker justifies action as “for the welfare of the world,” a common purāṇic rationale for righteous rule.
The verse highlights accountability: turning away from a rightful injunction (madvākya) invites consequences, and authority is portrayed as legitimate when exercised for lokahita (the common good).