Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 93
Merit of Causeways and Crossings, Temple Construction Rewards, and the Rudrākṣa Mahātmya
अतो देवलविप्रो यो नरकान्न निवर्तते । तस्माद्वेश्याजनानां च दौष्ट्यमेव हितं भवेत्
ato devalavipro yo narakānna nivartate | tasmādveśyājanānāṃ ca dauṣṭyameva hitaṃ bhavet
پس جو برہمن مندر کے دیوتاؤں کی خدمت پر گزارا کرتا ہے، وہ دوزخ سے واپس نہیں پلٹتا؛ لہٰذا جو لوگ کسبِ فحش سے جیتے ہیں اُن کے لیے بھی بدکرداری ہی فائدہ مند سمجھی جاتی ہے۔
Unspecified (verse presented as part of the ongoing Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa narration; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input).
Concept: Livelihood (vṛtti) matters: certain professions tied to sacred spaces, if pursued with impure intent or as exploitation, are portrayed as spiritually ruinous.
Application: Examine how one earns from religion or sexuality: avoid exploitation, coercion, and hypocrisy; align work with integrity and compassion.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bustling temple outer-courtyard where commerce and devotion collide: priests, vendors, and petitioners move under carved gateways, while a darkened corner hints at moral compromise. Above, the deity’s calm presence contrasts with human greed and confusion, suggesting the peril of turning sacred service into mere trade.","primary_figures":["temple deity (iconic presence)","a brāhmaṇa devalaka figure (ambiguous)","pilgrims","temple guards","symbolic figure of Yama’s messenger (subtle, in shadow)"],"setting":"Temple bazaar-like perimeter with donation boxes, garland stalls, and a visible boundary between sanctum purity and worldly exchange.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["stone gray","marigold orange","saffron yellow","shadow indigo","copper brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand gopuram and sanctum with gold-leaf deity aura, foreground showing temple commerce and a conflicted brāhmaṇa figure; rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry, didactic contrast between sacred radiance and shadowed greed, intricate architectural detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: temple courtyard rendered with delicate lines, small expressive figures in narrative clusters, a moral allegory where a shadowy Yama-dūta watches from behind a pillar; cool palette with lyrical realism and refined facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized temple scene with bold outlines, deity icon centered, surrounding human figures showing moral tension; red/yellow/green pigments, large eyes, symbolic Yama motifs in the margins.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and temple bells framing a courtyard tableau; deity at center with deep blue background, intricate floral motifs, narrative vignettes of devotion versus exploitation, gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["market murmur (soft)","temple bells","footsteps on stone","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नरकान्न = नरकान् + न; तस्माद्वेश्याजनानाम् = तस्मात् + वेश्याजनानाम्.
FAQs
No. This verse is primarily an ethical/social judgment about certain livelihoods and their karmic consequences, not a description of tīrthas or sacred locations.
Not directly. It speaks in the register of social/occupational dharma and naraka (hell) rather than prescribing devotion (bhakti) or a devotional practice.
It asserts a harsh moral critique: it claims that a brāhmaṇa who lives by devala-service does not escape hell, and then draws a provocative comparison implying that for people of disreputable livelihoods, “wickedness” is treated as what benefits them—functioning as a condemnation rather than an endorsement.