Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 144
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
त्रुटते भोजने कंठो भोजने च कुतः सुखम् । क्षुधा हि सर्वरोगाणां व्याधिः श्रेष्ठतमः स्मृतः
truṭate bhojane kaṃṭho bhojane ca kutaḥ sukham | kṣudhā hi sarvarogāṇāṃ vyādhiḥ śreṣṭhatamaḥ smṛtaḥ
When one eats, the throat chokes—where, then, is delight in eating? For hunger is remembered as the foremost affliction among all diseases.
Unspecified (context not provided for dialogue attribution)
Concept: Sensory enjoyment in eating is unstable and mixed with discomfort; hunger itself is a dominant disease-like affliction.
Application: Practice mindful restraint: eat slowly, avoid greed, and remember the body’s limits; use hunger and appetite as cues for discipline rather than compulsion.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark, symbolic tableau: a man mid-meal suddenly coughs, clutching his throat, while the food on the plate appears momentarily alluring yet turns visually heavy and oppressive. Behind him, a shadowy figure labeled ‘Kshudha’ (Hunger) looms like a physician’s diagnosis, suggesting hunger as the chief disease driving beings.","primary_figures":["householder (symbolic everyman)","personified Kshudha (hunger as a shadow-entity)"],"setting":"simple household dining area rendered as an allegorical stage","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["smoky black","dull bronze","pale skin tones","muted saffron","cold gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical scene of a man choking while eating, with a stylized dark personification of Kshudha behind; gold leaf used sparingly to highlight the deceptive shine of food and the lamp, rich red background, ornate border to contrast the moral lesson with traditional devotional aesthetics.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate interior with delicate detail, the man’s startled expression, food painted with subtle realism, a translucent shadow-figure of hunger; restrained palette, fine lines, psychological nuance rather than gore.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, simplified forms, hunger personified as a dark figure with exaggerated eyes, the choking gesture clearly depicted; strong reds/yellows/greens with black contouring, didactic mural clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition where the plate of food is framed by lotus borders yet visually ‘heavy,’ and a dark hunger motif curls like a vine; deep blue ground with gold floral borders, devotional textile aesthetics used to convey moral restraint."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["brief silence between lines","low mridangam pulse","soft bell","breath-like wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard word-joining in pāda; śreṣṭhatamaḥ is śreṣṭha + tama (superlative formation).
FAQs
It teaches that hunger undermines even the enjoyment of food and is therefore described as the most dominant affliction among diseases.
It uses a vivid bodily image to show how distress (especially hunger and its effects) can turn eating into discomfort rather than pleasure.
It highlights the seriousness of hunger and supports a dharmic emphasis on alleviating hunger—through right living, moderation, and charitable feeding (anna-dāna).