Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 156
Brahmin Conduct, Purificatory Baths, and the Garuḍa–Nectar Episode
Illustrative Narrative
स्वं मोघं भिदुरं दृष्ट्वा हरिर्भीतोऽभवत्तदा । संनिवृत्य ततो युद्धात्तत्रैवांतरधीयत
svaṃ moghaṃ bhiduraṃ dṛṣṭvā harirbhīto'bhavattadā | saṃnivṛtya tato yuddhāttatraivāṃtaradhīyata
اپنا ہی ہتھیار بے اثر اور ٹوٹا ہوا دیکھ کر ہری اسی لمحے خوف زدہ ہو گیا؛ پھر جنگ سے ہٹ کر وہیں اسی جگہ غائب ہو گیا۔
Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Even the mighty may withdraw when a means becomes futile; discernment includes strategic retreat.
Application: When a plan collapses, pause and regroup rather than escalating; choose timing and means wisely.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A battlefield of gods and serpentine powers freezes in a sudden reversal: Hari’s weapon lies shattered, its fragments glowing like broken meteors. In a breath of tense silence, Hari turns away from the clash and dissolves into a veil of light, leaving stunned celestial onlookers amid swirling dust and broken radiance.","primary_figures":["Hari (Vishnu)","Deva hosts (silhouetted)","Serpentine/Nāga forces (suggested)"],"setting":"Mythic battlefield at the edge of the heavens, strewn with luminous weapon-fragments and churned clouds","lighting_mood":"storm-lit divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","ashen gray","electric violet","golden flare","blood-red accents"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Hari in deep sapphire-blue withdrawing from a celestial battlefield, shattered weapon fragments rendered as jeweled shards; heavy gold leaf halos, ornate borders, rich crimson and emerald textiles on deva attendants, gem-studded ornaments, dramatic posture of retreat and disappearance into a gold-rimmed aura.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical yet tense battlefield in cool blues and grays, delicate linework showing a broken weapon and drifting cloud-dust; Hari turning away, dissolving into pale light; refined faces of devas in astonishment, subtle Himalayan-like cloud ridges and atmospheric perspective.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; Hari’s form outlined strongly as he vanishes into a circular aura; shattered weapon pieces stylized as angular motifs; deva ranks in rhythmic composition, red-yellow-green palette with controlled dramatic contrast.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Vishnu-centered composition with ornate floral borders and lotus motifs framing a cosmic battlefield; deep indigo ground, gold highlights for the shattered weapon and aura; attendant figures arranged symmetrically, intricate textile patterns, stylized clouds and divine radiance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder","conch shell","temple bells","wind over a battlefield","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhītaḥ + abhavat → bhīto'bhavat; yuddhāt + tatra → yuddhāttatra; tatra + eva → tatraiva.
FAQs
In Purāṇic narration, such descriptions often serve dramatic and moral purposes within a story-world (līlā), emphasizing the turning of events and the limits of a particular weapon or situation rather than denying divinity.
“Antaradhīyata” commonly means becoming invisible or withdrawing from perception—often a divine or yogic mode of disappearance rather than ordinary flight.
It highlights strategic withdrawal when a means proves ineffective—recognizing limits, avoiding futile escalation, and changing course when circumstances demand it.