Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 176
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
न ह्यस्ति सर्ववित्कश्चिन्न वा मूर्खोपि सर्वतः । यावद्यस्तु विजानाति तावत्तत्र स पंडितः
na hyasti sarvavitkaścinna vā mūrkhopi sarvataḥ | yāvadyastu vijānāti tāvattatra sa paṃḍitaḥ
Niemand ist allwissend, und niemand ist in jeder Hinsicht völlig töricht. Soweit ein Mensch etwas wahrhaft versteht, soweit ist er darin ein Gelehrter.
Unspecified (context not provided for this single verse)
Concept: No one knows everything and no one is foolish in every way; a person is ‘learned’ to the extent of genuine understanding in a given domain.
Application: Avoid labeling people as ‘genius’ or ‘idiot’; identify specific competencies, learn from others, and teach without arrogance—especially in spiritual practice communities.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a temple courtyard school, students of different ages sit in a semicircle: one excels in recitation, another in ritual detail, another in compassionate service. A teacher points to a chalked mandala on the ground, illustrating that wisdom has many facets and grows by degrees.","primary_figures":["Ācārya (teacher)","Students (varied ages and backgrounds)"],"setting":"Temple courtyard or āśrama pāṭhaśālā with pillars, oil lamps, and palm-leaf texts","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","stone gray","turmeric yellow","deep maroon","peacock green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: temple courtyard classroom with gold leaf accents on pillars and lamps, teacher with ornate halo, students holding palm-leaf manuscripts, rich maroon and green garments, gem-like highlights, symmetrical composition with decorative border motifs of conch and lotus.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate pāṭhaśālā scene with delicate lines, soft lamp glow, cool shadows, students in gentle colors, detailed manuscripts, lyrical architecture and a quiet devotional ambiance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of teacher and students, stylized temple pillars, oil lamps as bright yellow-red forms, rhythmic patterns on floor mandala, expressive eyes, traditional pigment palette and narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: courtyard learning scene framed by intricate floral borders, repeated lotus motifs, patterned textiles, lamps and garlands, deep blue accents with gold highlights, devotional atmosphere emphasizing community learning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft student chanting","page rustle of palm leaves","temple bell punctuations","footsteps in courtyard","ambient hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न+हि+अस्ति→न ह्यस्ति; सर्ववित्+कश्चित्→सर्ववित्कश्चित्; मूर्खः+अपि→मूर्खोपि; यावत्+यः+तु→यावद्यस्तु; तावत्+तत्र→तावत्तत्र
FAQs
It teaches intellectual humility: nobody knows everything, and nobody is ignorant about everything; wisdom is measured by genuine understanding in a given domain.
In its plain ethical sense, it states that among ordinary people no one is universally all-knowing; it emphasizes practical humility rather than metaphysical claims.
Respect competence where it exists, avoid dismissing others as wholly ignorant, and recognize that expertise is contextual—one is a “paṇḍita” in the area one truly understands.