Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 58
Episode of Vena: The Power of Association and Revā (Narmadā) Tīrtha
ताडनात्ताडनं दुष्टे न कुर्वंति महाजनाः । आक्रुष्टा नैव कुप्यंति इति धर्मस्य संस्थितिः
tāḍanāttāḍanaṃ duṣṭe na kurvaṃti mahājanāḥ | ākruṣṭā naiva kupyaṃti iti dharmasya saṃsthitiḥ
بدکار کے مارنے پر بھی نیک لوگ مار کے بدلے مار نہیں کرتے۔ گالی سن کر بھی غضب نہیں کرتے—یہی دھرم کی قائم شدہ روش ہے۔
Unspecified (narratorial/gnomic instruction within the chapter context)
Concept: Mahājanas do not repay harm with harm; restraint under insult is dharma’s stable foundation.
Application: Practice non-retaliation: if attacked verbally/physically, prioritize de-escalation, seek protection through lawful means, and keep the mind free from hatred.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau: a venerable elder points gently toward a calm ascetic who remains unshaken despite being struck, while the aggressor’s raised hand hangs suspended in shame. The composition emphasizes stillness—steady breath, lowered gaze, and the quiet authority of dharma.","primary_figures":["Elder teacher/narrator figure","Tapasvin (ideal mahājana)","Aggressor (wicked person)"],"setting":"Hermitage teaching space with students seated, a low platform, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a small lamp—like a forest gurukula.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["warm gold","sandalwood beige","sage green","terracotta","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dharma-teacher with gold leaf halo instructing, the serene ascetic seated in composure, aggressor depicted with softened posture; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, gold leaf on lamp and halos, traditional iconographic symmetry conveying moral order.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle moral scene with refined faces—teacher’s hand in upadeśa-mudrā, ascetic tranquil, aggressor subdued; soft dawn sky, delicate trees, cool yet warm-balanced palette.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines and didactic clarity—teacher and ascetic in luminous yellows/greens, aggressor in darker tones; stylized manuscript and lamp motifs, temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central serene figure framed by lotus and floral borders; symbolic motifs of balanced scales and calm waters; deep blue background with gold script-like ornamentation emphasizing ‘dharma-saṃsthiti’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","gentle flowing water","morning birds","long pauses (silence)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ताडनात्ताडनं = ताडनात् + ताडनम्; कुर्वंति = कुर्वन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद); कुप्यंति = कुप्यन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद).
FAQs
It teaches non-retaliation and forgiveness: the virtuous do not return violence for violence, and they restrain anger even when insulted.
It specifically praises inner restraint—avoiding retaliatory harm and anger—rather than describing legal or social responses; it frames self-control as a hallmark of dharma.
Here it means noble or exemplary persons—those established in dharma—whose conduct sets a standard for ethical behavior.