Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 102
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
संसारे क्लिश्यते तेन नरो लोभवशानुगः । गर्भस्मृतेरभावे च शास्त्रमुक्तं शिवेन च
saṃsāre kliśyate tena naro lobhavaśānugaḥ | garbhasmṛterabhāve ca śāstramuktaṃ śivena ca
Ainsi, dans l’existence mondaine, l’homme soumis à l’emprise de l’avidité est tourmenté; et, faute de mémoire du sein maternel, cet enseignement est énoncé dans le śāstra, tel que l’a dit Śiva.
Unspecified (narrative voice citing Śiva as an authority)
Concept: Greed binds a person to affliction in samsara; because beings forget prenatal insight, śāstra compassionately instructs them.
Application: Notice greed’s triggers; practice restraint (aparigraha), dana, and daily śāstra-reading to replace impulse with discernment.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A weary householder stands at a crossroads in a bustling market-city, weighed down by sacks of coins that transform into chains around his ankles. Above him, a serene ascetic silhouette of Śiva appears like a teaching-vision, holding a palm-leaf śāstra that emits calming light, while the background fades into a wheel of births and deaths.","primary_figures":["a bound householder (symbolic jīva)","Śiva as śāstra-vakta (teaching authority)","personified Greed (lobha) as a shadowy figure"],"setting":"ancient Indian city marketplace dissolving into a cosmic samsara-wheel backdrop","lighting_mood":"divine radiance cutting through dusk","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash white","antique gold","deep maroon","palm-leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central bound jīva in rich garments with heavy gold ornaments turning into chains, Śiva above as a calm teacher holding a glowing palm-leaf manuscript, ornate arch frame, gold leaf halo-work, ruby and emerald accents, dense red-green background with stylized lotus borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical city-crossroads scene with delicate linework, the jīva burdened by coin-sacks, a translucent Śiva-vision in the sky holding a manuscript, cool twilight blues and soft ochres, distant hills, refined faces, subtle emotional melancholy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Śiva as the authoritative teacher with large expressive eyes and ash-toned body, the jīva below entangled by serpentine chains of greed, flat temple-wall composition, strong reds/yellows/greens, stylized flames of knowledge around the manuscript.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic samsara-wheel behind the figure, lotus motifs framing the moral lesson, ornate floral borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights; include a small Vishnu-lotus emblem subtly indicating Vaishnava śāstra context while Śiva appears as revered authority."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","soft drone (tanpura)","distant conch","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गर्भस्मृतेरभावे = गर्भस्मृतेः + अभावे (विसर्ग-रेफादेशः); शास्त्रमुक्तं = शास्त्रम् + उक्तम् (अनुस्वार/संयोग)
FAQs
It teaches that greed (lobha) binds a person to suffering in saṃsāra, and that scripture provides guidance because ordinary beings do not retain prenatal (womb) memory that could otherwise warn them.
It refers to the idea that beings may have experiences in the womb (or prior states) but typically lack conscious recollection afterward; thus, śāstra functions as an external, reliable reminder and guide.
Śiva is cited as an authoritative teacher whose words align with śāstra, reinforcing that the warning against greed is not merely opinion but a recognized doctrinal instruction.