Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 21
Viṣṇu’s Māyā and the Stratagem Against Vihuṇḍa
with the Kāmodā–Gaṅgādvāra motif
आत्मनाशं न जानाति कालरूपां वरस्त्रियम् । तां दृष्ट्वा नवहेमाभां रूपद्रविणशालिनीम्
ātmanāśaṃ na jānāti kālarūpāṃ varastriyam | tāṃ dṛṣṭvā navahemābhāṃ rūpadraviṇaśālinīm
Er erkennt seinen eigenen Untergang nicht, wenn er jene erhabene Frau erblickt—die Zeit selbst in weiblicher Gestalt—strahlend wie frisch geprägtes Gold, reich an Schönheit und Besitz.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: One fails to recognize self-destruction when captivated by kāla disguised as alluring pleasure; awareness of impermanence restores wisdom.
Application: Practice ‘memento kāla’: before indulging, remember consequences and mortality; choose actions that remain auspicious under time’s scrutiny (seva, japa, charity).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The golden woman stands radiant like freshly minted gold, yet behind her glow a faint shadow of a wheel—Time’s chakra—casting a subtle eclipse across the garden. The asura gazes in rapture, unaware that the very beauty before him is his doom, while petals fall like silent seconds.","primary_figures":["Kāla-rūpā (Time in feminine form, via Māyā)","Diti-jeśvara (asura lord)"],"setting":"Celestial grove with a deceptive serenity: gold-lit blossoms, jeweled ground, and a barely visible cosmic wheel motif in the sky.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["antique gold","moon silver","deep indigo","marigold","smoke black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the golden woman as Kāla-rūpā with intense gold leaf treatment on skin and ornaments, a subtle chakra-wheel halo behind her, the asura enthralled in ornate armor, falling petals rendered as patterned gold flecks, rich dark indigo background to heighten the luminous gold, elaborate borders and temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: soft moonlit garden, the woman painted in warm gold wash, a faint translucent wheel of time behind her, the asura’s face showing entranced blindness, petals drifting like time-motes, delicate linework and restrained palette with fine gold accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic Kāla-rūpā with bold outlines and stylized chakra behind, strong contrast of gold/yellow against deep blue, expressive eyes conveying both allure and inevitability, decorative floral registers and symbolic falling petals.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central golden figure on lotus with a mandala-like chakra motif, ornate floral borders, deep indigo cloth ground with gold detailing, repeated petal patterns suggesting time’s flow, peacocks subdued in darker tones to keep the mood contemplative and fateful."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft tanpura","distant bell toll","falling petals (suggested)","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आत्मनाशम् = आत्म + नाशम्; कालरूपाम् = काल + रूपाम्; वरस्त्रियम् = वर + स्त्रियम्; नवहेमाभाम् = नव + हेम + आभाम्; रूपद्रविणशालिनीम् = रूप + द्रविण + शालिनीम्
FAQs
It warns that infatuation with beauty and wealth can blind a person to impending self-destruction, because the temptation is portrayed as Kāla (Time/Death) in an alluring form.
The verse uses a poetic personification: what appears desirable (beauty, riches) can actually be the vehicle of ruin; thus Time/Death is shown as attractive to emphasize how easily one is deceived.
Do not let appearances—especially allure tied to beauty and wealth—override discernment; cultivate awareness of consequences and practice restraint to avoid self-harm.