Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 106
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
इत्युक्ते स पुनः प्राह नगरेऽस्मिन्प्रशोभने । बहुकामुक संपूर्णे कथं रक्षा भवेत्स्त्रियाः
ityukte sa punaḥ prāha nagare'sminpraśobhane | bahukāmuka saṃpūrṇe kathaṃ rakṣā bhavetstriyāḥ
Khi điều này được nói ra, ông lại nói: 'Trong thành phố lộng lẫy này, nơi đầy rẫy những kẻ háo sắc, làm sao có thể đảm bảo sự an toàn cho một người phụ nữ?'
Unspecified male speaker (context required to identify; likely within a dialogue frame such as Pulastya–Bhīṣma or Śiva–Pārvatī depending on the surrounding verses)
Concept: Protection (rakṣā) is not merely physical; it requires social structures, vigilance, and ethical restraint in environments saturated with desire.
Application: In high-risk environments, create safeguards: trusted companions, clear boundaries, community accountability, and personal self-control.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bustling, jewel-like city street glitters with banners and marketplaces, yet the atmosphere is tense: groups of flirtatious men linger in shadowed arcades. In the foreground, a concerned guardian figure speaks urgently, asking how a woman can be kept safe amid the city’s seductive chaos.","primary_figures":["Concerned male speaker (guardian/householder)","Implied protected woman (off-frame or veiled)","City dwellers (kāmuka men)"],"setting":"Ornate city with carved balconies, crowded bazaar, shadowed alleyways, palace-adjacent quarters.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["emerald green","lamp-flame amber","smoky violet","pearl white","copper brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent city architecture with gold leaf on arches and balcony rails; the speaker in the foreground with expressive hand gesture; background figures rendered as stylized silhouettes of temptation; rich reds/greens, heavy ornamentation, and a moral contrast between glittering gold and darkened alcoves.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined cityscape with delicate lines, cool shadows under balconies, and subtle facial expressions of worry; lyrical but tense composition, with the speaker turned slightly toward the viewer as if seeking counsel.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and rhythmic crowd patterns; the city’s splendor in red/yellow/green bands; the speaker’s wide eyes conveying anxiety; decorative borders suggesting social order under strain.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotus and creepers framing a city scene; deep blues and gold; peacocks perched on rooftops; symbolic depiction of kāma as swirling floral-vine motifs encroaching toward the protected space."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["crowd murmur","distant drums","temple bells","sudden hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इत्युक्ते → इति + उक्ते; नगरेऽस्मिन् → नगरे + अस्मिन्; अस्मिन्प्रशोभने → अस्मिन् + प्रशोभने; भवेत्स्त्रियाः → भवेत् + स्त्रियाः.
FAQs
It raises a practical ethical concern: in a society (a city) where many men are driven by lust, what measures can ensure a woman’s safety and protection.
Not directly; it functions more as social-ethical dialogue within the narrative flow of the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa rather than a creation-myth or a sectarian theological statement.
The verse implies that public order and personal conduct must be regulated by dharma—especially self-restraint and protective social responsibility—so that vulnerable persons are not endangered in communal life.