Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 20
Signs at the Death of Sinners and the Approach of Yama’s Messengers
एवं पीडासमायुक्तो दुःखं भुंक्तेति मोहितः । तस्य प्राणाः सुदुःखेन महाकष्टैः प्रचालिताः
evaṃ pīḍāsamāyukto duḥkhaṃ bhuṃkteti mohitaḥ | tasya prāṇāḥ suduḥkhena mahākaṣṭaiḥ pracālitāḥ
So, von Qualen umfangen, erträgt er — verblendet — das Leid; und seine eigenen Lebenshauche werden von tiefem Schmerz und großer Not erschüttert und umhergetrieben.
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Moha (delusion) makes one accept suffering as inevitable; karmic affliction shakes even the prāṇas when dharma is neglected.
Application: Treat greed-driven choices as seeds of future distress; cultivate daily remembrance of Viṣṇu, truthful livelihood, and restraint so the mind does not normalize suffering.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone embodied soul, eyes clouded by delusion, staggers in a dim liminal corridor where the air itself seems heavy. Invisible karmic winds buffet his breath, shown as pale streams torn and scattered, while distant silhouettes of stern attendants loom like shadows of consequence.","primary_figures":["tormented jīva (preta-like figure)","shadowy yamadūtas (distant/implicit)"],"setting":"A transitional nether-road (pretamārga) with oppressive atmosphere, cracked earth, and swirling dust that visually suggests shaken prāṇas.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ash gray","smoky indigo","dull crimson","saffron haze","iron black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central suffering jīva with expressive eyes and trembling prāṇa-streams rendered as stylized white-gold lines; background as a dark corridor with faintly visible yamadūta silhouettes; heavy gold leaf halo-like accents used ironically to contrast spiritual loss; rich maroon and deep green borders, gem-studded ornament motifs framing a moral tableau.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a narrow winding path through a barren landscape under a cold night sky; the jīva small and vulnerable, buffeted by painted gusts; distant attendants as minimal figures; delicate brushwork, muted blues and grays, lyrical yet unsettling naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the jīva with exaggerated eyes and tense limbs; swirling prāṇa ribbons; background in earthy reds and yellows with dark green-black shadows; temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing moral drama.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—lotus motifs fading and wilting around a central distressed figure to show loss of sattva; ornate floral borders in deep blue and gold; subtle inclusion of a tiny Viṣṇu emblem far away as the missed refuge; intricate patterning with narrative panels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum (mṛdaṅga)","distant conch shell","wind gusts","heavy silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भुंक्तेति = भुङ्क्ते + इति; सुदुःखेन = सु + दुःखेन
FAQs
It depicts a person overwhelmed by affliction who, due to delusion, undergoes suffering so severe that even the life-breaths (prāṇas) are described as being shaken by anguish.
It frames suffering as accompanied by confusion or misapprehension—suggesting that delusion compounds pain and prevents clear understanding or skillful response.
The verse encourages reflection on the causes and consequences of harmful actions and mental confusion, pointing toward cultivating clarity, restraint, and right conduct to avoid such torment.