Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
Origin of Suvrata
Boon, Sacred Ford, and the Birth Narrative
प्रविशंतं गृहद्वारं देवरूपं मनोहरम् । हर्षेण महताविष्टः सोमशर्मा द्विजोत्तमः
praviśaṃtaṃ gṛhadvāraṃ devarūpaṃ manoharam | harṣeṇa mahatāviṣṭaḥ somaśarmā dvijottamaḥ
Khi người ấy bước vào ngưỡng cửa—dáng vẻ như thần linh, duyên dáng mê người—Somaśarmā, bậc tối thượng trong hàng brāhmaṇa, tràn ngập hoan hỷ lớn lao.
Narrator (contextual; verse is descriptive rather than direct speech)
Concept: The devotee’s beauty is ‘deva-rūpa’—bhakti refines the person into a living icon that evokes joy in the righteous.
Application: Cultivate joy in meeting virtuous people; welcome them at the threshold with respect—this transforms home life into sādhana.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the doorway, a charming figure with a subtle divine aura steps inside, as Somaśarmā’s face blossoms into overwhelming joy. The threshold is clean and auspicious, hinting at impending worship—like entering a small temple within the home.","primary_figures":["Somaśarmā","deva-rūpa visitor/devotee"],"setting":"house doorway with carved lintel, rangoli-like markings, a quiet courtyard beyond","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp-flame amber","ivory white","vermillion red","emerald green","midnight indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Somaśarmā at the doorway with hands raised in delighted reverence, the visitor with a gold-leaf aura and ornate yet restrained sacred ornaments; richly patterned doorframe, red-green drapery, gem-like highlights, symmetrical composition emphasizing the threshold as sanctum.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic scene at a doorway, delicate expressions—Somaśarmā’s eyes moist with joy; soft textiles, pale walls, refined linework, gentle shading, lyrical calm in the courtyard beyond.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm pigments; expressive wide eyes of Somaśarmā, stylized doorway motifs, the visitor’s aura rendered as flat luminous field, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: doorway framed by lotus creepers and floral borders, peacocks near the threshold, deep blue ground with gold accents; the visitor’s aura and Somaśarmā’s joy rendered with decorative patterning and devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft conch in distance","doorway anklet chime","temple bells","hushed household ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रविशंतं→प्रविशन्तम् (अनुस्वार/न्त्); महताविष्टः→महताऽऽविष्टः (महतā + आविष्टः); अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धिः न।
FAQs
Somaśarmā is named as a dvijottama—“the foremost among the twice-born,” indicating a respected brāhmaṇa figure within the narrative.
The verse describes Somaśarmā entering a house’s threshold/doorway that appears “divine” and “charming,” and his resulting surge of joy.
The dominant mood is auspicious wonder and uplift (harṣa), suggesting that encountering a sacred or divinely marked place naturally elevates the mind of a virtuous person.