Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 28
Viṣṇu’s Māyā and the Stratagem Against Vihuṇḍa
with the Kāmodā–Gaṅgādvāra motif
वनानि यानि पुण्यानि दिव्यानि दितिजेश्वरः । बभ्राममन्मथाविष्टो न च पश्यति तं द्रुमम्
vanāni yāni puṇyāni divyāni ditijeśvaraḥ | babhrāmamanmathāviṣṭo na ca paśyati taṃ drumam
Le seigneur des dānavas erra à travers toutes les forêts sacrées et divines qui existaient ; mais, saisi par Kāma, il ne vit pas cet arbre.
Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Kāma clouds discernment: even in holy places, the mind seized by desire fails to perceive what is truly present and beneficial.
Application: When agitated by craving, pause practices (japa, breath, prayer) before making decisions; otherwise even good environments won’t help.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A powerful Dānava lord strides through a chain of luminous sacred forests—each grove marked by subtle divine signs—yet his eyes are glazed with longing, missing a singular, radiant tree hidden in plain sight. The forest spirits watch silently as blossoms fall like unanswered prayers.","primary_figures":["Dānava lord (Diti-jeśvara)","Forest yakṣas/vanadevatās (subtle, optional)"],"setting":"Interlinked sacred groves with ancient banyans, flowering aśoka, and mossy shrine-stones; a barely glimpsed extraordinary tree deeper within.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["jade green","smoky teal","marigold gold","ash gray","crimson blossom"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a regal Dānava with ornate crown and heavy jewelry moving through a sanctified forest corridor; gold leaf highlights on leaves and shrine-stones, rich reds/greens, the hidden ‘special tree’ suggested by a faint gold aura behind layered foliage, decorative arch border with lotus and vine motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest panorama with delicate trees and rolling clearings; the Dānava wanders restlessly, eyes turned away from a subtly glowing tree; cool greens and blues, fine linework, small vanadevatā silhouettes peeking from trunks.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized forest with rhythmic creepers; the Dānava’s face shows agitation, arrows of Kāma implied as symbolic motifs; bold outlines, warm red-yellow-green palette, sacred grove markers (small lamps, stones) along the path.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate forest border of lotuses and vines; central wandering figure amid repeated grove motifs; peacocks and flowering trees, deep blue-green ground with gold accents, the ‘unseen tree’ rendered as a circular aureole behind foliage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","distant birds","soft drum pulse","occasional temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बभ्राममन्मथाविष्टो = बभ्राम + मन्मथाविष्टः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि-लेखन); तं द्रुमम् = तम् + द्रुमम् (अनुस्वार/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि लेखन).
FAQs
Even while moving through sacred and divine places, a person overwhelmed by desire (Kāma/Manmatha) fails to perceive what is truly significant—symbolized here by “that tree.”
“Ditijeśvara” literally means the lord of Diti’s offspring—i.e., a Daitya/Dānava king. The specific individual is not identifiable from this single verse alone.
Inner states shape perception: uncontrolled desire can obscure discernment, so sacred environments alone do not guarantee insight without mental clarity and restraint.