Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 17
The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
Vṛtra’s Death, Indra’s Sin, and Brahmin Censure
पुत्रोहं ब्राह्मणस्यापि वेदवेदांगपारगः । सुरापानं कथं भद्रे करिष्यमि विनिंदितम्
putrohaṃ brāhmaṇasyāpi vedavedāṃgapāragaḥ | surāpānaṃ kathaṃ bhadre kariṣyami viniṃditam
Ta là con của một brāhmaṇa, lại tinh thông Veda và các Vedāṅga. Ôi hiền nương, sao ta có thể làm điều bị chê trách là uống rượu surā?
Unspecified male speaker (contextual dialogue not provided in input)
Concept: Svadharma and śīla (character) are safeguarded by refusing what is nindita (socially and scripturally condemned).
Application: When pressured, anchor decisions in identity and training: ‘I am committed to learning, clarity, and purity’; practice polite but firm refusal.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brahmin youth, calm and composed, raises his hand in a gesture of refusal while addressing a noble lady with courtesy. His face shows steady discernment—no anger, only principled restraint—contrasting with the glittering cup and the alluring atmosphere around him.","primary_figures":["learned brāhmaṇa youth (unnamed)","Rambhā (apsaras)"],"setting":"Elegant hall with scrolls/palm-leaf manuscripts near the youth, a low table with a wine cup near Rambhā, garlands and incense in the background","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with calm glow","color_palette":["warm sandalwood beige","vermillion red","deep indigo","burnished gold","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central figure of a serene brahmin youth with sacred thread and manuscript bundle, palm raised in refusal; Rambhā to the side holding a gold cup; gold leaf highlights on ornaments and halo-like backdrop, rich reds/greens, symmetrical framing, ornate arch and floral borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue scene—youth seated with palm-leaf texts, gentle refusal gesture; Rambhā poised with cup; delicate linework, soft pastel palette, refined expressions, quiet moral tension, small details like inkpot and garlands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized brahmin youth with clear mudras of refusal, Rambhā holding the cup; bold outlines, flat color fields, rhythmic ornamentation, emphasis on eyes and hand gestures, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel framed by lotus and creeper borders; the youth’s refusal gesture centered, cup gleaming; peacocks and floral motifs; deep blues and gold accents, intricate textile patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","page-rustle of palm leaves (suggestive)","gentle bell","brief silence after refusal"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुत्रोऽहम् = पुत्रः + अहम्; ब्राह्मणस्यापि = ब्राह्मणस्य + अपि; वेदवेदांगपारगः = वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः (अनुस्वार/ङ्-आगम); करिष्यमि = करिष्यामि (IAST spelling normalized); विनिंदितम् = विनिन्दितम् (निन्द्).
FAQs
It stresses congruence between learning and conduct: one who claims Vedic mastery should avoid actions considered socially and religiously blameworthy, such as drinking intoxicants.
The verse reflects a dharma-oriented value system in which intoxication—especially for a brāhmaṇa—is treated as censured behavior, associated with moral and ritual downfall.
It indicates the speaker presents himself as highly learned—having mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas—using that status as a reason to reject a condemned act.