Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 14013
Brahmā’s Lotus-Birth, Puṣkara-Creation Imagery, Madhu–Kaiṭabha, and Early Genealogies
तेषां मध्येंतरं यत्तु तद्रसातलसंज्ञितम् । महापातककर्माणो मज्जंते यत्र मानवाः
teṣāṃ madhyeṃtaraṃ yattu tadrasātalasaṃjñitam | mahāpātakakarmāṇo majjaṃte yatra mānavāḥ
اور اُن کے درمیان جو فاصلہ ہے وہ ‘رَساتَل’ کہلاتا ہے؛ جہاں مہاپاتک (بڑے گناہ) کرنے والے انسان دھنس جاتے ہیں۔
Unspecified (narrative voice within the Adhyaya; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone).
Concept: Grave sins (mahāpātakas) have heavy consequences; adharma creates a downward trajectory of consciousness and destiny.
Application: Treat ethical breaches as spiritually weighty; adopt daily restraint, confession/prāyaścitta, and devotional practices that reverse ‘sinking’ tendencies (sat-saṅga, nāma-japa, vrata).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Between the under-petals of the cosmic lotus yawns a shadowed chasm labeled Rasātala, layered like a descending corridor of stone and smoke. Human figures, burdened by the weight of their own deeds, sink as if pulled by unseen gravity, while distant nāga-palaces glimmer with cold jewel-light, emphasizing the moral warning of the realm.","primary_figures":["Falling/sinking human beings (mahāpātaka-karmī)","Nāga sentinels (optional, distant)","Cosmic lotus structure (architectural presence)"],"setting":"Intervening nether stratum beneath the lotus-petals; cavernous, stratified underworld passage.","lighting_mood":"smoky darkness with faint cold glints","color_palette":["charcoal gray","deep indigo","cold turquoise","dull copper","ashen white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: A dramatic underworld panel beneath a stylized lotus, with layered arches representing Rasātala; figures descending in rhythmic composition, gold leaf used sparingly as ominous highlights on jewel-like nāga ornaments, heavy maroon-black background, embossed borders framing a moral tableau.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: A vertical composition showing a narrow ‘between-space’ cavern; delicate yet haunting linework of sinking figures, cool indigo washes, minimal gold, misty gradients suggesting depth, refined facial expressions conveying fear and remorse.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Strong outlines and symbolic forms; Rasātala as a banded subterranean register, descending figures in ochre and gray, stylized nāga motifs with green and red pigments, temple-wall narrative clarity with didactic emphasis.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Narrative medallion labeled Rasātala within a lotus-border framework; stylized descending figures and serpent motifs, intricate floral margins, deep blue ground with muted metallic accents, devotional-didactic storytelling aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drone","distant thunder","echoing cavern ambience","long pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मध्येंतरम् = मध्ये + अन्तरम्; यत्तु = यत् + तु; तद्रसातलसंज्ञितम् = तत् + रसातलसंज्ञितम्; महापातककर्माणो = महापातककर्माणः (visarga sandhi); मज्जंते = मज्जन्ते (anusvāra/orthographic variant).
FAQs
Rasātala is described as an intervening region (an underworld realm) where those who perform mahāpātaka—heinous sins—are said to sink.
The verse underscores karma and moral causality: grave wrongdoing (mahāpātaka) leads to severe post-mortem consequences, symbolized by sinking into Rasātala.
No. It only states “mahāpātaka” in general; the specific list of mahāpātakas is typically defined elsewhere in Dharmaśāstra and Purāṇic contexts.