Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 28
Viṣṇu’s Māyā and the Stratagem Against Vihuṇḍa
with the Kāmodā–Gaṅgādvāra motif
वनानि यानि पुण्यानि दिव्यानि दितिजेश्वरः । बभ्राममन्मथाविष्टो न च पश्यति तं द्रुमम्
vanāni yāni puṇyāni divyāni ditijeśvaraḥ | babhrāmamanmathāviṣṭo na ca paśyati taṃ drumam
طاف سيّد الدّانافا في كلّ الغابات المقدّسة الإلهيّة التي وُجدت؛ لكنّه، وقد غلبه كاما، لم يُبصر تلك الشجرة.
Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Kāma clouds discernment: even in holy places, the mind seized by desire fails to perceive what is truly present and beneficial.
Application: When agitated by craving, pause practices (japa, breath, prayer) before making decisions; otherwise even good environments won’t help.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A powerful Dānava lord strides through a chain of luminous sacred forests—each grove marked by subtle divine signs—yet his eyes are glazed with longing, missing a singular, radiant tree hidden in plain sight. The forest spirits watch silently as blossoms fall like unanswered prayers.","primary_figures":["Dānava lord (Diti-jeśvara)","Forest yakṣas/vanadevatās (subtle, optional)"],"setting":"Interlinked sacred groves with ancient banyans, flowering aśoka, and mossy shrine-stones; a barely glimpsed extraordinary tree deeper within.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["jade green","smoky teal","marigold gold","ash gray","crimson blossom"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a regal Dānava with ornate crown and heavy jewelry moving through a sanctified forest corridor; gold leaf highlights on leaves and shrine-stones, rich reds/greens, the hidden ‘special tree’ suggested by a faint gold aura behind layered foliage, decorative arch border with lotus and vine motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest panorama with delicate trees and rolling clearings; the Dānava wanders restlessly, eyes turned away from a subtly glowing tree; cool greens and blues, fine linework, small vanadevatā silhouettes peeking from trunks.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized forest with rhythmic creepers; the Dānava’s face shows agitation, arrows of Kāma implied as symbolic motifs; bold outlines, warm red-yellow-green palette, sacred grove markers (small lamps, stones) along the path.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate forest border of lotuses and vines; central wandering figure amid repeated grove motifs; peacocks and flowering trees, deep blue-green ground with gold accents, the ‘unseen tree’ rendered as a circular aureole behind foliage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","distant birds","soft drum pulse","occasional temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बभ्राममन्मथाविष्टो = बभ्राम + मन्मथाविष्टः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि-लेखन); तं द्रुमम् = तम् + द्रुमम् (अनुस्वार/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि लेखन).
FAQs
Even while moving through sacred and divine places, a person overwhelmed by desire (Kāma/Manmatha) fails to perceive what is truly significant—symbolized here by “that tree.”
“Ditijeśvara” literally means the lord of Diti’s offspring—i.e., a Daitya/Dānava king. The specific individual is not identifiable from this single verse alone.
Inner states shape perception: uncontrolled desire can obscure discernment, so sacred environments alone do not guarantee insight without mental clarity and restraint.