Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 34
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
सकंठलग्नपाशं च न पश्येद्दैवमोहितः । कालः समविषमकृत्कालः सन्मानहानिदः
sakaṃṭhalagnapāśaṃ ca na paśyeddaivamohitaḥ | kālaḥ samaviṣamakṛtkālaḥ sanmānahānidaḥ
Vom Schicksal betört, bemerkt der Mensch nicht einmal die Schlinge, die an seinem eigenen Hals fest sitzt. Die Zeit—die sowohl günstige als auch ungerechte Wendungen herbeiführt—raubt Ehre und Ansehen.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Padma Purāṇa; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Under delusion, one fails to notice imminent bondage; Time overturns status and strips honor—therefore awaken to spiritual urgency.
Application: Regular self-audit: notice ‘nooses’ of habits, debt, pride, and craving; practice daily japa, Ekadashi discipline, and charity to loosen bondage.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A man, eyes clouded as if by a veil, walks proudly through a courtly hall while a dark, almost invisible noose tightens around his neck—seen clearly only by the viewer. Behind him, a towering personification of Time stands like a shadowed deity, holding a wheel and hourglass, as fallen garlands and toppled honorific parasols signal lost prestige.","primary_figures":["a deluded nobleman/king","personified Kāla (Time)","courtiers (fading silhouettes)"],"setting":"royal audience hall transitioning into a shadowy cosmic backdrop with a wheel of time motif","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["midnight indigo","smoky black","burnished gold","blood red","stone gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central figure of Kāla towering behind a proud noble, Kāla holding a gilded wheel (kāla-cakra) and a noose; the noble wears ornate jewelry yet the noose is subtly painted around the neck; gold leaf on the wheel, crowns, and architectural arches; rich reds and deep blues, heavy ornamental borders conveying ominous grandeur.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined court scene with a subtle symbolic noose around the protagonist’s neck, barely visible; in the background a dark, stylized figure of Time emerges from clouds with a wheel; delicate brushwork, muted yet intense palette, expressive faces showing unawareness vs. cosmic inevitability.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined Kāla with large eyes and patterned garments, holding a wheel and pāśa; the deluded man in front with proud posture; strong red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall symmetry, decorative flame-like motifs around the kāla-cakra.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical panel with ornate border; central kāla-cakra motif in gold, a human figure walking beneath it with a stylized noose; floral borders contrast with ominous dark blues; intricate patterning and symbolic narrative cartouches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum (mridanga)","single bell strikes","wind-like drone","brief silence after 'kālaḥ'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पश्येद्दैवमोहितः = पश्येत् + दैवमोहितः (त् + द → द्द); सकंठलग्नपाशं = स-कण्ठ-लग्न-पाशम्; समविषमकृत्कालः, सन्मानहानिदः समासपदानि।
FAQs
It uses the image of a “noose fastened to the neck” to show how, under delusion (daiva-moha), a person fails to recognize imminent danger or bondage even when it is already upon them.
Time is depicted as an overpowering force that produces both “even/fair” (sama) and “uneven/unfair” (viṣama) outcomes and can diminish one’s social honor (sanmāna).
It cautions against complacency and self-deception: one should cultivate discernment and humility, recognizing life’s instability and acting responsibly before circumstances tighten like a noose.