Padma Purana — Svarga Khanda, Shloka 18
Dharma of the Conduct of the Vānaprastha Āśrama
Forest-Dweller Discipline
तत्र यो जायते गर्भो न स स्पृश्यो द्विजातिभिः । न हि वेदेधिकारोस्य तद्वंशेप्येवमेव हि
tatra yo jāyate garbho na sa spṛśyo dvijātibhiḥ | na hi vededhikārosya tadvaṃśepyevameva hi
وہاں جو حمل ٹھہرے، اسے دْوِجاتیوں کو چھونا نہیں چاہیے؛ کیونکہ اسے وید کا حق حاصل نہیں—اور یہی بات اس کی نسل میں بھی اسی طرح جاری رہتی ہے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Adhikāra (eligibility) for Vedic study is conditioned by saṃskāra, conduct, and lineage rules as construed by smṛti-purāṇic dharma; transgression produces enduring social-ritual consequences.
Application: Treat sacred learning and ritual commitments as requiring integrity and preparation; avoid contexts/actions that undermine one’s vows and responsibilities.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A secluded, shadowed boundary at the edge of a hermitage: a warning marker of dharma stands near a narrow path, while a group of twice-born ascetics pause, hands raised in restraint, refusing contact. In the distance, a dimly suggested ‘forbidden’ enclosure is veiled by mist, conveying the gravity of transgression and inherited consequence.","primary_figures":["forest-dwelling dvijas (ascetics)","a dharma-guardian figure (symbolic)"],"setting":"liminal forest edge near an austere āśrama boundary, with ritual markers (kuśa bundles, water pot, warning staff)","lighting_mood":"forest dappled turning to ominous twilight","color_palette":["smoke gray","deep indigo","saffron ochre","ash white","muted copper"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dharma-boundary scene at an austere hermitage edge, ascetics in saffron and white holding kamaṇḍalus and kuśa, palms raised in restraint; a symbolic Viṣṇu-disc (chakra) motif faintly behind as cosmic law, gold leaf embellishment on ritual objects and borders, rich reds/greens subdued by ash tones, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a misty forest threshold with delicate brushwork, slim ascetics pausing on a narrow path, refined faces showing restraint and concern; cool palette with indigo shadows, pale ochres, and soft gray mist, lyrical naturalism with deer tracks and sparse shrubs indicating a liminal, prohibited zone.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, stylized ascetics with expressive eyes, a boundary post with sacred symbols, earthy reds/yellows/greens tempered by ash-white ground; temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing dharma as cosmic order, minimal background but strong symbolic motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: an allegorical dharma-threshold framed by intricate floral borders; lotus motifs subdued, a central symbolic chakra and conch pattern indicating Viṣṇu’s sustaining law; figures of ascetics arranged symmetrically, deep blues and gold with restrained, austere ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","wind through dry leaves","distant conch","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वेदेधिकारोस्य = वेद-अधिकारः + अस्य; तद्वंशेप्येवमेव = तद्-वंशे + अपि + एवम् + एव.
FAQs
“Vedādhikāra” means eligibility or entitlement to study/recite the Veda and to perform Vedic rites; the verse states that such entitlement is denied to one born under the stated condition, and even to his descendants.
“Dvijātis” are the “twice-born” varṇas—traditionally Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas—who undergo upanayana and are thereby connected with Vedic study and ritual duties.
The verse asserts a dharma-śāstra style norm linking ritual contact (touchability) and Vedic entitlement to birth conditions, extending the restriction to lineage—reflecting a hereditary model of religious qualification found in some traditional texts.