Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 13
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
ववृधे दारुणो गर्भः सर्वलोकभयप्रदः । पद्मावती विजानाति तस्य गर्भस्य कारणम्
vavṛdhe dāruṇo garbhaḥ sarvalokabhayapradaḥ | padmāvatī vijānāti tasya garbhasya kāraṇam
وہ ہولناک حمل بڑھتا گیا اور تمام جہانوں کے لیے خوف کا سبب بن گیا؛ مگر پدماوتی اس حمل کے پسِ پردہ سبب کو جانتی تھی۔
Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Hidden causes (karma/daiva) can manifest as world-affecting consequences; discernment (viveka) perceives the cause behind frightening appearances.
Application: When fear arises, seek the root cause rather than reacting only to symptoms; cultivate clarity and counsel from the wise before acting.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A palace chamber heavy with silence: Padmāvatī sits upright, one hand on her abdomen, eyes sharpened with insight as a shadowy, storm-like aura coils around the womb. Beyond the chamber walls, the three worlds are hinted as trembling silhouettes—gods, humans, and nāgas—suggesting a pregnancy whose cause is cosmic, not merely personal.","primary_figures":["Padmāvatī","the fearsome embryo (suggested as an aura/outline rather than explicit)","distant silhouettes of devas and lokas"],"setting":"royal inner chamber with lotus motifs, curtains, incense smoke, and a faint vision-window to the three worlds","lighting_mood":"moonlit with ominous divine radiance","color_palette":["indigo night","smoky violet","lotus pink","antique gold","ashen gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Padmāvatī seated in a royal chamber with lotus-carved pillars, hand on her womb; a swirling dark aura around the abdomen rendered with dramatic contrast; gold leaf halos and ornate jewelry, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded borders; subtle miniature vignettes of trembling devas in the background framed like medallions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an intimate palace interior with delicate lines; Padmāvatī’s thoughtful face turned inward, soft shading; outside the window a lyrical yet unsettling sky with faint celestial figures; cool indigo and muted pinks, refined naturalism, patterned textiles and lotus motifs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines; Padmāvatī in stylized profile with large expressive eyes; the womb-aura as a coiling, cloud-like form; flat yet vibrant pigments—deep blue, red, yellow, green—temple-wall composition with ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: lotus-filled border framing Padmāvatī; symbolic depiction of the three worlds as concentric lotus rings; deep blue ground with gold highlights; intricate floral motifs, peacocks subdued; devotional ornamentation even within an ominous narrative tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","distant conch shell","wind hush","faint bell resonance","pregnant silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्व+लोक+भय+प्रदः → सर्वलोकभयप्रदः (समास).
FAQs
It describes an ominous pregnancy (garbha) that grows into something terrifying for all beings, while Padmāvatī understands the underlying cause.
It indicates that the developing embryo becomes a cause of fear for “all worlds” (sarva-loka), suggesting a threat with wide-reaching, not merely personal, consequences.
The verse contrasts widespread fear with insight: while others are alarmed by the outward event, Padmāvatī perceives the hidden causality (kāraṇa), aligning with Purāṇic themes of karma and unseen reasons behind events.