Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 16
The Account of Sukalā in the Vena Episode: The Sow, the Sons, and Royal Restraint
लुब्धकाश्च ततः प्राप्ताः खड्गबाणधनुर्धराः । प्रजघ्नुस्तोमरैस्तीक्ष्णैश्चक्रैश्च मुशलैस्ततः
lubdhakāśca tataḥ prāptāḥ khaḍgabāṇadhanurdharāḥ | prajaghnustomaraistīkṣṇaiścakraiśca muśalaistataḥ
پھر لالچی لوگ آ پہنچے، تلواریں، تیر اور کمانیں لیے ہوئے؛ اور تب انہوں نے تیز نیزوں، چکر جیسے ہتھیاروں اور گُرزوں سے وار کر کے دشمنوں کو گرا دیا۔
Narrative voice (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Lobha (greed) precipitates adharma and collective ruin; weaponized desire becomes self-destructive.
Application: Notice greed’s early signals (grasping, impatience, rivalry); pause before escalation, choose restraint and fair dealing to prevent harm.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A surge of greedy raiders storms into a dusty battlefield, their faces tense with craving and cruelty. Swords flash, arrows arc, and a rain of sharp javelins, spinning discus-weapons, and heavy clubs crashes into the melee, turning the air into a storm of iron.","primary_figures":["greedy warriors (lubbhakāḥ)","anonymous defenders/foes"],"setting":"open battlefield with churned earth, broken chariots, scattered shields, and a haze of dust","lighting_mood":"stormy overcast with harsh metallic glints","color_palette":["iron gray","blood crimson","dust ochre","smoke black","dull bronze"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a crowded battle tableau of armed raiders with swords, bows, and arrows, striking with tomara javelins, chakra-like discs, and heavy musala clubs; ornate armor rendered with gold leaf highlights, rich maroon and emerald accents, gem-studded weapon hilts, dramatic South Indian iconographic symmetry despite the chaos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a dynamic skirmish on an ochre plain with delicate brushwork—thin arrows in flight, curved swords, and spinning discs; refined faces showing greed and rage, pale blue-gray sky, lyrical dust clouds, and patterned textiles on warriors’ garments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments depict clustered fighters; exaggerated expressive eyes, rhythmic repetition of weapons (khadga, bana, dhanus, tomara, chakra, musala), temple-mural compositional bands, dominant reds, yellows, greens with soot-black shadows.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic ‘battle of vices’ scene—greed personified as armed men, swirling chakra motifs as decorative borders; intricate floral frames and lotus medallions contrast with the violence, deep indigo ground with gold detailing, peacocks startled at the edges."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["clashing weapons","war cries","drum beats","conch shell","dusty wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: lubdhakāśca = lubdhakāḥ + ca; prajaghnustomaraiḥ = prajaghnus + tomaraiḥ; tīkṣṇaiścakraiśca = tīkṣṇaiḥ + cakraiḥ + ca; muśalaistataḥ = muśalaiḥ + tataḥ; khaḍgabāṇadhanurdharāḥ analyzed as bahuvrīhi compound.
FAQs
It depicts armed, greedy attackers arriving and killing/striking others using multiple weapons—javelins, chakra-like discuses, and clubs—emphasizing sudden violence driven by greed.
The verse names khaḍga (sword), bāṇa (arrows), dhanuḥ (bow), tomara (javelin/spear), cakra (discus-weapon), and muśala (club).
Greed (lobha) is shown as a catalyst for destructive action; Purāṇic narratives commonly use such scenes to contrast adharma-driven violence with restraint and dharma.