Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
Vena’s Fall into Adharma and the Prelude to Pṛthu’s Birth
राजपुण्येन राजेंद्र सुखं जीवंति वै द्विजाः । राज्ञः पापेन नश्यंति तस्मात्पुण्यं समाचर
rājapuṇyena rājeṃdra sukhaṃ jīvaṃti vai dvijāḥ | rājñaḥ pāpena naśyaṃti tasmātpuṇyaṃ samācara
اے راجاؤں کے سردار! بادشاہ کے پُنّیہ سے ہی دِوِج خوشی سے جیتے ہیں؛ اور بادشاہ کے پاپ سے وہ ہلاک ہو جاتے ہیں۔ اس لیے پُنّیہ اور دھرم کا آچرن کرو۔
Unspecified (addressing a king: 'rājendra')
Concept: A ruler’s merit sustains the happiness of the twice-born; a ruler’s sin causes their ruin—therefore the king must practice puṇya and righteousness.
Application: Leaders (and household heads) should recognize moral contagion: personal integrity affects dependents; choose policies/actions that increase welfare, justice, and spiritual culture.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A crowned king stands at the palace balcony overlooking his city: on one side, prosperity—smiling scholars, thriving markets, peaceful rituals; on the other, a shadowed vision of decline—withered fields and distressed sages—hovering like a warning. The king’s hands are shown offering gifts to brāhmaṇas and lighting a lamp before Vishnu, indicating that personal puṇya becomes public welfare.","primary_figures":["Rājendra (ideal king)","Brāhmaṇas (twice-born)","Vishnu (as a shrine icon or vision)","Citizens as the realm’s mirror"],"setting":"Royal palace overlooking a city with a nearby temple courtyard; contrasting prosperity and decline as symbolic overlays.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["royal gold","stone gray","turmeric yellow","emerald green","shadow violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: majestic king with gold leaf crown and halo, offering dāna to brāhmaṇas and lighting a lamp before a Vishnu shrine; cityscape below with prosperous vignettes; a darker corner vignette showing the consequence of sin; heavy gold leaf embellishment, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch framing the moral tableau.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined palace terrace scene with the king in profile, delicate city details below, gentle morning light; symbolic cloud-like overlay showing alternate outcomes (prosperity vs decline); subtle emotional gravity in faces, cool palette with warm highlights.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic king figure centered, brāhmaṇas to one side receiving gifts, Vishnu shrine to the other; prosperity motifs (grain, lamps) rendered in flat pigments; warning motif in darker tones; bold outlines and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central king offering lamp to Vishnu amid lotus borders; surrounding circular medallions depict the fruits of puṇya (happy scholars, abundant harvest) and the fruits of pāpa (withered lotuses, dim lamps); deep blue ground with gold and floral intricacy, peacocks and cows as prosperity symbols."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["palace drum in distance","temple bells","conch at shrine","murmur of city life fading into silence on 'nashyanti'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मात्पुण्यम् = तस्मात् + पुण्यम् (त् + प् → त्प्).
FAQs
It teaches rāja-dharma: a ruler’s virtue sustains the well-being of society, while a ruler’s wrongdoing brings collective harm—so the king should cultivate puṇya (righteous merit).
Dvijas (traditionally the twice-born, especially Brahmins) are highlighted as a social indicator of stability: when governance is righteous, learned and religious life flourishes; when governance is sinful, it deteriorates.
Leadership is morally consequential: the ruler’s personal ethics are not private, but materially affect the safety, prosperity, and spiritual health of the community—therefore the ruler must actively practice virtue.