Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 59
Sukalā’s Account: Ikṣvāku and Sudevā; the Boar’s Resolve and the Dharma of Battle
संग्रामं याचमानस्तु युद्धं देयं मया ध्रुवम् । युद्धातिथिः समायातो विष्णुरूपः सनातनः
saṃgrāmaṃ yācamānastu yuddhaṃ deyaṃ mayā dhruvam | yuddhātithiḥ samāyāto viṣṇurūpaḥ sanātanaḥ
Khi có người cầu xin giao chiến, ta nhất định phải ban cho trận chiến ấy. “Vị khách của chiến trận” đã đến—Đấng vĩnh cửu, mang hình tướng Viṣṇu.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator/speaker within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: A righteous ruler/guardian must not refuse a lawful challenge; the challenger is to be treated as an atithi, and in dharmic combat Vishnu is mystically present.
Application: Meet legitimate responsibilities without evasion; treat even adversarial encounters with principled conduct; see the divine in tests of character.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A warrior-king stands at the threshold of a battlefield like a host at his doorway, palms open in formal acceptance of a challenge. Before him arrives the ‘yuddhātithi’—a radiant figure whose armor subtly bears Vishnu’s emblems (chakra and shankha), revealing divinity beneath martial guise.","primary_figures":["challenged king/warrior","Yuddhātithi (Vishnu-rūpa)","attendant soldiers","celestial onlookers (subtle)"],"setting":"Battlefield entrance styled like a ceremonial gate—standards, torches, and a ritual boundary line as if it were a yajna-vedi","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sapphire blue","antique gold","blood red","smoke black","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a king receiving a challenger as an honored guest at a battlefield-gate, the challenger glowing with Vishnu’s aura—chakra and shankha motifs on armor; lavish gold leaf halos, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch and lamp motifs blending hospitality with war.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined duel invitation scene—two figures facing with courtly etiquette, the challenger’s subtle Vishnu signs (blue hue, chakra emblem), lyrical landscape with banners; delicate brushwork, cool blues and warm ochres, expressive yet restrained faces.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: dramatic frontal tableau—king in accepting posture, Vishnu-rūpa yuddhātithi radiating, bold outlines and flat pigments; temple-wall composition with symbolic chakra/shankha, red-yellow-green palette and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic hospitality-in-war scene framed by lotus and floral borders; central Vishnu-rūpa as ‘guest of war’ with deep blue body tone, gold accents, patterned textiles, peacocks at corners, chakra motifs woven into the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell blast","war drum roll","metallic clang","temple bell strike","sudden hush on ‘Vishnu-rūpa’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: युद्ध+अतिथिः→युद्धातिथिः; विष्णु+रूपः→विष्णुरूपः.
FAQs
It literally means “guest of battle”—a challenger who arrives seeking combat, to be ‘received’ according to warrior-dharma through a fair fight rather than refused.
It frames combat as a duty-bound response: when battle is properly requested, the speaker treats granting it as an obligation, reflecting kṣatriya ethics of meeting a rightful challenge.
The verse sacralizes the encounter by seeing the challenger as bearing the presence/form of Viṣṇu—implying that even conflict, when aligned with dharma, can be approached with reverence and spiritual awareness.