Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 125
Marks of the Debt-Bound/Enemy Son, Filial Dharma, Detachment, and the Durvāsā–Dharma Episode
सोमशर्मोवाच । धर्मस्तु कीदृशो जातस्तेन शप्तो महात्मना । तद्रूपं तस्य मे ब्रूहि यदि जानासि भामिनि
somaśarmovāca | dharmastu kīdṛśo jātastena śapto mahātmanā | tadrūpaṃ tasya me brūhi yadi jānāsi bhāmini
Somaśarmā nói: “Dharma đã hóa thành dạng gì mà bị bậc đại tâm ấy nguyền rủa? Hỡi người đẹp, nếu nàng biết, xin hãy nói cho ta hình tướng của Ngài.”
Somaśarmā
Concept: Dharma can assume embodied forms under the pressure of curse and cosmic necessity; understanding dharma requires inquiry and listening to tradition.
Application: Ask precise questions about ethical conduct and consequences; seek guidance from trustworthy teachers rather than assuming one’s own definitions of righteousness.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brāhmaṇa, Somaśarmā, sits respectfully before a poised, luminous woman-sage, his palms joined as he asks about Dharma’s strange transformation under a great curse. The air feels charged with unseen destiny, as if the very concept of righteousness is about to take visible form through story.","primary_figures":["Somaśarmā","Sumana"],"setting":"A quiet hermitage courtyard with kusa-grass seats, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a small sacrificial fire smoldering beside a tulasī planter.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","smoke gray","vermillion","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Somaśarmā in white dhoti with sacred thread kneels with añjali-mudrā before Sumana seated on a low throne-like āsana; gold leaf halo around Sumana, ornate borders, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on a manuscript stand, stylized agni-kunda with gold highlights, traditional South Indian iconography and symmetrical composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage scene with delicate brushwork; Somaśarmā and Sumana under a flowering tree, subtle expressions of curiosity and calm; cool greens and pale ochres, refined facial features, distant hills, a tiny agni with curling smoke, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; Sumana with large expressive eyes and calm smile, Somaśarmā in reverent posture; red-yellow-green palette, patterned foliage, temple-wall aesthetic, stylized fire altar and manuscript bundle.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional border of lotus and tulasī motifs framing a narrative vignette of Somaśarmā questioning Sumana; deep blue background with gold detailing, intricate floral borders, peacocks at the corners, a small conch and lamp near the manuscript to suggest sacred discourse."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["forest birds","soft temple bell","crackling fire","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सोमशर्मोवाच = सोमशर्म + उवाच; धर्मस्तु = धर्मः + तु; तद्रूपं = तत् + रूपम्.
FAQs
Somaśarmā is speaking, asking what form Dharma took and why a great-souled figure cursed him.
Dharma is treated as a personified cosmic-ethical principle, capable of taking forms and undergoing consequences such as curses within Purāṇic narrative logic.
It suggests that even exalted principles/personages are shown as accountable within moral causality, prompting inquiry into the causes and consequences of actions.