Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 1
Indra’s Purification and the Limits of Pilgrimage: Four Sinners Seek Release
कुंजलौवाच । ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस्तु सहस्राक्षो यदा पुरा । गौतमस्य प्रियासंगादगम्यागमनं महत्
kuṃjalauvāca | brahmahatyābhibhūtastu sahasrākṣo yadā purā | gautamasya priyāsaṃgādagamyāgamanaṃ mahat
کُنجَل نے کہا: قدیم زمانے میں، جب ہزار آنکھوں والا (سہسرाक्ष) اِندر برہمن ہتیا کے پاپ سے مغلوب تھا، تو گوتم کی محبوبہ (اہلیا) کی صحبت کے سبب اُس نے ناقابلِ قربت کے قریب جانے کی عظیم خطا کی۔
Kuñjala
Concept: Even the mighty fall when desire overrides discernment; adharma in a sacred context multiplies consequence, producing inner bondage (pātaka) and social-spiritual exile.
Application: Guard boundaries: avoid situations that inflame desire and compromise integrity; when a mistake occurs, own it quickly and seek corrective discipline rather than denial.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a quiet forest hermitage, the atmosphere tightens as Indra—disguised, anxious—crosses a forbidden threshold. Ahalyā stands near a simple hut and sacrificial altar, while the unseen weight of brahmahatyā gathers like a shadow, foreshadowing exile and penance.","primary_figures":["Indra (Sahasrākṣa)","Ahalyā","Sage Gautama (implied/approaching)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with kuśa grass, a small yajña-vedi, clay water pots, and deer moving at the edge of the clearing.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["smoky green","earth brown","ash gray","muted gold","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic āśrama scene with Indra in partial disguise, ornate yet tense; Ahalyā near the vedi; heavy gold leaf used sparingly to contrast worldly splendor against austere hermitage; rich maroons and greens, expressive posture conveying transgression and impending consequence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined forest hermitage with delicate trees and a small hut; Indra’s cautious step and Ahalyā’s conflicted gaze rendered with subtle emotion; cool shadows and restrained ornamentation, lyrical naturalism emphasizing moral tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined figures with heightened facial expression; the āśrama elements stylized—vedi, pots, trees—while a dark aura motif suggests pātaka; traditional red-yellow-green palette with dramatic contrast.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic rather than literal—an āśrama mandala with a central vedi, surrounding lotus borders; Indra and Ahalyā placed in symmetrical tension, peacocks and forest motifs; deep blue ground with gold highlights to show the gravity of dharma breach."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","distant thunder","low drum pulse","tense silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुंजलौवाच → कुंजलः + उवाच (विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-सन्धि); ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस् → ब्रह्महत्यया + अभिभूतः (स्वर-सन्धि); प्रियासंगादगम्यागमनं → प्रियासङ्गात् + अगम्य + आगमनम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: द् + अ → द; तथा यत्-विशेषणसमासाभास).
FAQs
“Sahasrākṣa” is a common epithet of Indra, the king of the gods, often used in Purāṇic narratives.
It refers to approaching a forbidden partner—classically, adultery/illicit sexual approach—treated as a serious dharmic violation in Purāṇic ethics.
The verse frames how desire and improper association can lead even powerful beings into grave wrongdoing, establishing a warning about restraint and adherence to dharma.