Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 44
The Sin of Breaking Households: Citrā’s Past Karma and the Remedy of Hari’s Name and Meditation
पापकर्मप्रभावाच्च गृहभंगान्महीपते । विधवात्वं भुंजते सा दिव्यादेवी सुपुत्रक
pāpakarmaprabhāvācca gṛhabhaṃgānmahīpate | vidhavātvaṃ bhuṃjate sā divyādevī suputraka
Hỡi bậc quân vương, do ảnh hưởng của nghiệp ác và sự tan vỡ gia thất, người nữ rạng ngời ấy—dẫu mang tính thiêng—vẫn phải chịu cảnh goá bụa, hỡi hiền tử.
Unspecified (narrator addressing a king, with an appended vocative 'suputraka')
Concept: Mixed karma: even one who has merit may suffer due to prior pāpa; worldly status is fragile under karmic causality.
Application: Avoid complacency from past good deeds; cultivate ongoing ethical vigilance, repentance, and devotional refuge during reversals.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-bright palace chamber now dim: Divyādevī sits in white garments, ornaments removed, beside a broken doorway and scattered household vessels—symbols of gṛha-bhaṅga. A sage-narrator gestures solemnly toward her, while the king-listener stands in shadow, absorbing the warning that merit and sin can intertwine in fate.","primary_figures":["Divyādevī (as widow)","king (listener)","sage-narrator"],"setting":"royal household interior in disrepair—cracked pillars, extinguished lamps, fallen garlands, empty courtyard","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["ash white","deep indigo","burnt sienna","muted gold","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic palace interior with gold leaf accents dulled by shadow, Divyādevī in austere white seated near a broken threshold, sage pointing in instruction, king in respectful sorrow; rich maroon background, ornate but somber jewelry details, symbolic shattered pot and fallen garland.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poignant widowhood scene with delicate lines—Divyādevī in simple white, a quiet ruined courtyard, the king listening to a sage; cool dusk palette, restrained ornamentation, expressive eyes conveying grief and moral gravity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Divyādevī in simplified white attire, palace elements stylized, sage and king in profile; strong red/ochre background with dark shading to convey loss, traditional mural borders with subdued lotus motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—central widow Divyādevī, surrounding motifs of broken household objects and withered garlands within ornate borders; deep blue-black ground with minimal gold, emphasizing austerity and karmic warning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant thunder","long pauses","soft sobbing wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पापकर्मप्रभावात्+च→पापकर्मप्रभावाच्च; गृहभङ्गात्+महीपते→गृहभंगान्महीपते (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-सन्धि); दिव्या+देवी→दिव्यादेवी
FAQs
It states that the consequences of sinful actions (pāpa-karma) can manifest as worldly suffering—here, the destruction of domestic life and the experience of widowhood.
The verse links this particular case to pāpa-karma and household ruin; it should be read as a contextual karmic explanation within the narrative, not as a universal rule for all situations.
Personal conduct has consequences: harmful actions can destabilize family life and lead to painful outcomes, so one should pursue dharmic living to avoid such suffering.