Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 98
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
संमूढस्य स्मृतिभ्रंशः शीघ्रं संजायते पुनः । स्मृतिभ्रंशात्ततस्तस्य पूर्वकर्मवशेन च
saṃmūḍhasya smṛtibhraṃśaḥ śīghraṃ saṃjāyate punaḥ | smṛtibhraṃśāttatastasya pūrvakarmavaśena ca
Bei dem Verblendeten entsteht rasch erneut Gedächtnisschwund. Und aus diesem Gedächtnisschwund folgen, unter dem Zwang früherer Handlungen (Karma), weitere Wirkungen.
Unspecified (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Delusion precipitates smṛti-bhraṁśa; once memory fails, past karma drives the person into further entanglement.
Application: Build protective habits of remembrance (nāma-japa, daily pūjā, sāttvika diet, truthful speech) so that stress or temptation doesn’t erase discernment; when forgetfulness appears, immediately seek satsanga and scriptural recollection.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A human figure sits amid scattered palm-leaf manuscripts and broken prayer beads, eyes glazed as a dark veil labeled ‘Smṛti-bhraṁśa’ descends. Behind him, a wheel of karma—etched with past deeds—turns like a heavy millstone, pulling him forward while a faint, luminous nāma of Viṣṇu flickers at the edge of the veil.","primary_figures":["a human jīva","allegorical Karma-wheel","allegorical Smṛti (as a fading lamp)","subtle Viṣṇu nāma-light"],"setting":"An interior courtyard near a small shrine; the shrine lamp is dimming as the karma-wheel casts long shadows.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit with encroaching shadow","color_palette":["oil-lamp gold","deep maroon","indigo shadow","parchment beige","dull iron gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a courtyard shrine scene with a dim ghee lamp, a jīva surrounded by scattered manuscripts and broken mālā, a large ornate karma-wheel behind rendered with gold leaf accents, a dark veil descending, and a tiny radiant Viṣṇu nāma motif in gold; rich reds/greens, jewel-like ornaments, traditional framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic shrine setting, delicate lines showing a fading lamp and a thoughtful yet confused figure, a symbolic wheel of karma in the background like a painted mandala, cool blues and soft browns, lyrical melancholy, refined facial expression.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figure with large expressive eyes, bold outlines, karma-wheel as a circular motif with repeating deed-icons, lamp in yellow-red pigments, shadow veil in dark blue-black, temple-wall composition with rhythmic patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central circular karma mandala with floral borders turning into chain-like motifs, the jīva near a small shrine, a tiny Viṣṇu-lotus emblem shining through patterned darkness, intricate ornamentation, deep blues and gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft bell","low tanpura drone","night insects","faint conch in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्मृतिभ्रंशात्ततः = स्मृतिभ्रंशात् + ततः; पूर्वकर्मवशेन = पूर्व-कर्म-वशेन.
FAQs
It links delusion (saṃmoha) to forgetfulness (smṛtibhraṃśa) and then to further negative outcomes driven by one’s past karma—showing how inner confusion can perpetuate harmful patterns.
Karma is presented as a constraining force (vaśa) from prior actions, shaping what happens after memory and discernment are lost.
Guarding clarity and remembrance of right conduct is crucial; when one becomes deluded and forgetful, prior tendencies and past actions more easily push one into further mistakes.