Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 97
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
स्पृष्टमात्रस्य घोरेण ज्वरः समुपजायते । तेन ज्वरेण महता महामोहः प्रजायते
spṛṣṭamātrasya ghoreṇa jvaraḥ samupajāyate | tena jvareṇa mahatā mahāmohaḥ prajāyate
Con el solo contacto de aquello terrible, surge de inmediato la fiebre; y de esa fiebre intensa nace una gran confusión.
Unspecified (context needed to identify the dialogue pair in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 66)
Concept: Contact with a corrupting object/association initiates a chain reaction: agitation (jvara) → delusion (mahāmohā).
Application: Guard the senses and company; treat early agitation as a warning sign—interrupt the chain with japa, tīrtha-smaraṇa, and disciplined routine.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowy, personified ‘Dreadful Touch’—a smoky, serpent-like miasma—brushes a human figure’s shoulder. Immediately a red-gold fever aura flares around the body, and within it a swirling storm-cloud of delusion forms, obscuring a faint distant Viṣṇu-lotus emblem.","primary_figures":["allegorical figure of Moha (delusion)","a human jīva","subtle symbol of Viṣṇu (lotus/chakra in the distance)"],"setting":"A crossroads on an earthly path with one side bright and temple-bound, the other side dark and thorny; the jīva stands at the threshold where the miasma touches.","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro with feverish glow","color_palette":["smoke black","ember red","saffron orange","ashen gray","distant sapphire blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical scene of a human jīva at a crossroads, a dark smoky miasma touching the shoulder, a circular fever-halo in ember red and saffron, distant Viṣṇu lotus-and-chakra symbol rendered with gold leaf radiance, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on the halo, rich reds and greens, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical hillside path splitting into bright temple road and dark thorny track, delicate brushwork showing a faint smoky serpent-mist touching the traveler, subtle red fever aura, distant blue-gold Viṣṇu emblem in the sky, refined faces, cool mountain palette with controlled warm accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, stylized jīva with expressive eyes, swirling dark miasma as a coiling form, fever aura in red/yellow pigments, distant Viṣṇu symbol glowing in green-blue, temple-wall aesthetic, rhythmic patterning in the background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition with lotus motifs and a small central Viṣṇu-chakra-lotus medallion, the jīva encircled by a fiery fever mandala, dark floral-vine border turning thorny on one side, intricate patterns, deep indigo background with gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","distant conch shell","wind hush","brief bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्पृष्टमात्रस्य = स्पृष्ट + मात्रस्य (समास);.
FAQs
It presents a chain: mere contact with something dreadful leads to fever (jvara), and that fever in turn gives rise to profound delusion (mahāmoha).
It warns that harmful association or contact can quickly disturb one’s wellbeing and clarity, culminating in confusion and loss of discernment.
The verse treats physical affliction as a gateway to mental/spiritual disorientation—when one is overwhelmed by intense suffering, clear judgment can collapse into delusion.