Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 160
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
ब्राह्मणानृत्विजः सर्वान्सावित्री वै शशाप ह । प्रतिग्रहार्थाग्निहोत्रो वृथाटव्याश्रयास्तथा
brāhmaṇānṛtvijaḥ sarvānsāvitrī vai śaśāpa ha | pratigrahārthāgnihotro vṛthāṭavyāśrayāstathā
Sāvitrī quả thật đã nguyền rủa hết thảy các vị Bà-la-môn tế sư: “Nguyện cho các lễ Agnihotra và Yajña của các ngươi chỉ vì nhận dāna–dakṣiṇā, và các ngươi cũng sẽ vô ích mà nương náu nơi rừng sâu.”
Narrator (describing Sāvitrī’s curse)
Concept: Ritual (agnihotra/yajña) becomes spiritually sterile when performed for pratigraha (gift-seeking) rather than as niṣkāma duty and devotion.
Application: Examine motives behind religious acts (donations, priestly service, vows): keep transparency, avoid transactional piety, and prioritize sincerity over display.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a solemn sacrificial hall, Sāvitrī stands blazing with righteous anger, her gaze fixed on a row of uneasy ṛtvijas beside a dimming altar-fire. The offerings and ladles lie scattered as if the very agni recoils from greed; beyond the pillars, a shadowed forest path suggests the ‘vain refuge’ of hollow renunciation.","primary_figures":["Sāvitrī","Brahmin ṛtvijas","Agni (as altar flame)"],"setting":"Vedic yajña-śālā with vedi, kuśa grass, ladles, soma vessels; doorway opening toward a dark forest edge","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with sudden fierce divine radiance around Sāvitrī","color_palette":["vermillion red","smoke gray","saffron gold","deep indigo","ash white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sāvitrī in fierce yet regal posture inside a yajña-śālā, gold-leaf halo and ornate crown, gem-studded ornaments; the altar-fire rendered with embossed gold flames, anxious ṛtvijas with folded hands, rich maroon and emerald drapery, intricate temple-pillars, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a refined sacrificial pavilion with delicate linework; Sāvitrī’s stern expression and flowing sari, subtle smoke curling from the altar, priests in pale garments, a cool twilight forest visible beyond; lyrical naturalism with soft blues and muted golds, fine facial features and patterned textiles.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; Sāvitrī centered with large expressive eyes and fiery aura, the vedi and agni stylized, priests arranged symmetrically; dominant reds, yellows, and greens with rhythmic ornamental borders like temple-wall art.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a ceremonial hall framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; symbolic altar-fire and ritual vessels; Sāvitrī as the commanding focal figure with decorative patterns, deep blues and gold accents, peacock-feather-like border detailing, devotional textile richness (even though not Krishna-centered, rendered in Nathdwara ornamental idiom)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["altar fire crackle","temple bells","low murmurs of assembly","conch shell (distant)","brief charged silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वान्सावित्री → सर्वान् सावित्री; प्रतिग्रहार्थाग्निहोत्रो → प्रतिग्रह-अर्थ-अग्निहोत्रः; वृथाटव्याश्रयास्तथा → वृथा अटवी-आश्रयाः तथा.
FAQs
It warns that religious rites lose their spiritual value when performed with a transactional motive—specifically, doing sacrifices primarily to obtain gifts or fees.
It implies an Agnihotra (fire-rite) done “for the sake of accepting gifts,” i.e., performed as a livelihood or for payment rather than as sincere dharma.
The verse suggests that external renunciation (going to the forest) is futile if inner intention remains impure; without right motivation, even austere living becomes spiritually unproductive.