Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 15
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
भक्ष्यं भोज्यं पेयलेह्यं चोष्यं खाद्यं च भूपते । तासां भेदाः षडंगाश्च मधुराद्याश्च षड्गुणाः
bhakṣyaṃ bhojyaṃ peyalehyaṃ coṣyaṃ khādyaṃ ca bhūpate | tāsāṃ bhedāḥ ṣaḍaṃgāśca madhurādyāśca ṣaḍguṇāḥ
O König, die Speise ist von sechs Arten: (1) was gekaut wird, (2) was als Mahl gegessen wird, (3) was getrunken wird, (4) was geleckt wird, (5) was gesogen wird, und (6) was gebissen wird. Dies sind ihre sechs Einteilungen, und ebenso gibt es sechs Geschmäcke, beginnend mit dem Süßen.
Pulastya (in dialogue with Bhīṣma)
Concept: Regulated consumption is intelligible and classifiable; knowing types of food and tastes supports self-mastery.
Application: Practice mindful eating: recognize what you are doing (chewing/drinking/licking etc.), reduce compulsive snacking, and favor simple tastes; begin meals with a brief offering/prayer.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pulastya sits on a kusa-grass seat, palm-leaf manuscript open, instructing Bhīṣma in a quiet hall. Before them, six small platters illustrate the six modes of eating, while six spice bowls symbolize the tastes beginning with sweetness—turning doctrine into a tangible lesson.","primary_figures":["Pulastya","Bhīṣma"],"setting":"forest hermitage teaching pavilion with a low altar-like table displaying foods and spices; attendants at a respectful distance","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron","ivory","deep maroon","emerald","lapis blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pulastya teaching Bhīṣma—two seated figures with ornate halos; in front, six platters and six spice bowls labeled by gesture; gold leaf on halos, vessel rims, and manuscript edges; rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments on Bhīṣma’s royal attire, traditional South Indian compositional symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate guru-śiṣya discourse—Pulastya in simple white, Bhīṣma in subdued royal garments; delicate rendering of six small dishes and spice bowls; cool palette, refined faces, soft forest backdrop with slender trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Pulastya and Bhīṣma in profile; six dishes arranged in a neat row; strong red/yellow/green pigments, stylized eyes, temple-wall geometry, minimal shading with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Vaishnava didactic tableau framed by lotus borders—two seated figures, six dishes and six rasa bowls forming a mandala; deep blue ground with gold highlights; intricate floral patterns, subtle conch-disc motifs in corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["manuscript rustle","soft bell punctuation","forest breeze","distant conch (faint)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: peya-lehyaṃ: dvandva compound written as peyalehyaṃ. coṣyaṃ = ca + oṣyam. ṣaḍaṃgāśca = ṣaṭ-aṃgāḥ + ca. madhurādyāśca = madhura-ādyāḥ + ca. ṣaḍguṇāḥ = ṣaṭ-guṇāḥ.
FAQs
They are bhakṣya (chewable), bhojya (meal-food), peya (drinkable), lehya (lickable), coṣya (suckable), and khādya (biteable/edible).
They refer to the classical six rasas: sweet (madhura), sour (amla), salty (lavaṇa), pungent (kaṭu), bitter (tikta), and astringent (kaṣāya).
The verse frames eating as a disciplined, knowable practice: by understanding types of intake and tastes, one can pursue moderation and mindful consumption aligned with dharma.