Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 50
The Nature of Knowledge, the Guru as Living Tīrtha, and the Law of Final Remembrance
सर्वं विदाम्यहं ह्यत्र संस्थितोपि न संशयः । तारणाय मनुष्याणां संसारे परिवर्तताम्
sarvaṃ vidāmyahaṃ hyatra saṃsthitopi na saṃśayaḥ | tāraṇāya manuṣyāṇāṃ saṃsāre parivartatām
Ici, tout en demeurant présent, je connais tout ; il n’y a aucun doute. Je le fais pour la délivrance des hommes qui ne cessent de tourner dans le saṃsāra.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 123)
Concept: True knowledge is held for tārana—helping humans who revolve in saṃsāra to cross over; wisdom is compassionate and liberative.
Application: Share what you know to reduce confusion; mentor gently; support community practices (kīrtana, Ekādaśī, Tulasi-sevā) that stabilize minds and uplift lives.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A compassionate sage stands beside a great wheel of saṃsāra where humans circle through births, reaching out in fatigue. The sage extends a ‘bridge’ of light—scripture, mantra, and disciplined practice—forming a boat that carries them toward a distant, serene Viṣṇu-lotus realm.","primary_figures":["sage-teacher (tāraka guide)","humans in saṃsāra (varied ages)","Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa as the far-shore refuge (optional, luminous)"],"setting":"A symbolic ocean of saṃsāra with a turning wheel on one side and a lotus-island of liberation on the other; the sage stands at the shoreline as ferryman of wisdom.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["dawn gold","ocean teal","lotus pink","pearl white","deep navy"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central sage as compassionate guide, gold leaf radiance forming a boat-bridge across a stylized saṃsāra ocean; on the far shore, Nārāyaṇa on a lotus with śaṅkha-cakra; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on the boat of knowledge.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical ocean scene with a gentle dawn; a sage offers a luminous path while weary travelers step onto it; distant lotus-island with a small Viṣṇu shrine; cool-teal water, soft gold sky, delicate human expressions of relief.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold, iconic composition—saṃsāra wheel on one side, lotus-liberation on the other; the sage in the center extending a bright band of mantra-script; strong pigments, temple-wall symmetry, emphatic compassionate gaze.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional crossing scene framed by lotus borders; the ‘boat’ decorated with floral motifs and śaṅkha-cakra symbols; far shore shows Kṛṣṇa/Vişṇu medallion; deep indigo cloth, gold highlights, peacocks and lotuses signifying auspicious passage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","flowing water","group hum (kīrtana-like drone)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vidāmyahaṃ→vidāmi aham; hyatra→hi atra; saṃsthitopi→saṃsthitaḥ api.
FAQs
It asserts an all-knowing guiding presence acting specifically to help humans escape repeated wandering in saṃsāra.
It frames liberation as deliverance from cyclical worldly existence, enabled by a higher, doubtless knowledge and guidance.
It encourages trust in divine guidance and a serious turn away from repetitive worldly entanglement toward a liberating path.