Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 53
Sukalā’s Account: Ikṣvāku and Sudevā; the Boar’s Resolve and the Dharma of Battle
देहि मे योधनं संख्ये युद्धार्थ्यहं समागतः । परेण याचितं युद्धं न ददाति यदा नरः
dehi me yodhanaṃ saṃkhye yuddhārthyahaṃ samāgataḥ | pareṇa yācitaṃ yuddhaṃ na dadāti yadā naraḥ
“میدانِ جنگ میں مجھے مقابلہ عطا کر؛ میں لڑائی کی طلب لے کر آیا ہوں۔ جب کوئی شخص دوسرے کے مانگے ہوئے قتال سے انکار کرے، …”
Unspecified (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Refusing a rightful challenge violates the warrior’s code; dharma includes accountability to one’s social role and to fair confrontation.
Application: Do not evade legitimate responsibilities or difficult conversations; meet challenges directly and ethically rather than through avoidance.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A challenger strides forward on a dusty field, palm raised in a formal demand, while the opposing warrior hesitates behind a half-lowered shield. The air is tense—chariots stand ready, horses snort, and banners whip as the moment of accepting or refusing dharma hangs visibly between them.","primary_figures":["Challenging kṣatriya","Hesitating kṣatriya","Charioteer/attendants (optional)"],"setting":"Battlefield with arranged ranks, chariots, and a marked dueling space","lighting_mood":"storm-brewing twilight","color_palette":["iron gray","blood crimson","dust brown","deep teal","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic duel-demand scene with gold leaf accents on armor and banners; challenger in dynamic stance, opponent hesitant; rich crimson and emerald textiles, ornate border with spear and lotus motifs; heightened moral drama through icon-like symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: fine brushwork capturing the challenger’s gesture and the opponent’s hesitation; muted stormy sky, delicate horses and chariots; restrained palette with sharp red accents to signal tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized warriors with expressive eyes; swirling flag shapes, strong red-yellow-green palette; emphasis on gesture (raised hand demand) as the narrative focal point.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: battlefield rendered symbolically with floral borders; central gesture of challenge framed by lotus medallions; deep blue ground with gold highlights; peacock-feather-like banner patterns to intensify movement."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["war drum roll","conch blast","horse snorts","clashing metal in the distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: युद्धार्थ्यहं→युद्धार्थी अहम् (sandhi: ī + a → yā); other words mostly separate.
FAQs
It frames battle as a formally requested encounter and hints at an ethical judgment about refusing a legitimate challenge.
It speaks within a kṣatriya-dharma context where combat is treated as a duty-bound, rule-governed act rather than indiscriminate violence.
The provided excerpt ends mid-thought; the concluding clause (what follows “when a man refuses…”) is not included in the input, so only a faithful partial translation can be given.