Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
Viṣṇu’s Māyā and the Stratagem Against Vihuṇḍa
with the Kāmodā–Gaṅgādvāra motif
संगमं देहि मे भद्रे रक्षरक्ष वरानने । संगमात्तव देवेशि यद्यदिच्छसि सांप्रतम्
saṃgamaṃ dehi me bhadre rakṣarakṣa varānane | saṃgamāttava deveśi yadyadicchasi sāṃpratam
«Accorde-moi l’union, ô bienheureuse ; protège-moi, protège-moi, ô toi au beau visage. Ô Souveraine des dieux, par l’union avec toi, tout ce que tu désires en cet instant s’accomplira.»
Unspecified (context required to identify the speaker reliably)
Concept: When desire becomes desperation, the tongue turns to false praise and the mind bargains away integrity.
Application: Notice manipulative speech patterns in oneself—excessive flattery, urgency, ‘anything you want’ promises—and step back into satya and self-control.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vihuṇḍa, trembling between lust and fear of losing the vision before him, folds his hands in a distorted ‘prayer’ that is really craving. Māyā stands unmoved, her aura like a mirage—beautiful, distant, and dangerous—while the air seems to thicken with illusion.","primary_figures":["Vihuṇḍa (Dānava)","Māyā (as Devī-like enchantress)"],"setting":"A liminal crossroads: grove meets a rocky clearing, suggesting a threshold between dharma and delusion.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance veiled by mist","color_palette":["smoky violet","champaka yellow","silver mist","blood red accent","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vihuṇḍa in dramatic supplication with exaggerated yearning eyes, hands joined; Māyā as a goddess-like figure with gold leaf halo, layered silk, and intricate jewelry; misty grove background with stylized flowers, heavy gold borders emphasizing the seductive yet perilous mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate psychological scene—Vihuṇḍa leaning forward pleading, Māyā slightly turned away, serene; cool mist, delicate flora, refined facial expressions; subtle tension conveyed through spacing and gaze lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, Māyā frontal and composed, Vihuṇḍa angled and agitated; patterned background with curling vines; warm pigments with a pale aura around Māyā to signal illusionary divinity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of blossoms and creepers; central luminous feminine figure (Māyā) with symmetrical lotus motifs; Vihuṇḍa at lower corner pleading; deep blue field with gold highlights, peacocks and stylized clouds suggesting enchantment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["quickened mridang pulse","wind through leaves","sudden conch-like swell","tense silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संगमात्तव = सङ्गमात् + तव; यद्यदिच्छसि = यत् + यत् + इच्छसि (यद्यद्).
FAQs
The verse addresses a feminine divine figure as 'deveśi' (“mistress/lady of the gods”). The exact identity (e.g., Pārvatī, Lakṣmī, or another goddess) depends on the surrounding narrative context of Adhyaya 118.
It is a plea for union (saṅgama) combined with an urgent request for protection, framed as a request to a powerful goddess whose will is portrayed as efficacious.
It implies the potency of divine will (icchā-śakti): the addressed goddess is depicted as capable of immediately bringing about outcomes according to her desire, highlighting her sovereignty and power.