Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 126
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
पीडितं सर्वरोगाद्यैरपि धन्वंतरिः स्वयम् । स्वस्थीकर्तुं न शक्नोति कालप्राप्तं न चान्यथा
pīḍitaṃ sarvarogādyairapi dhanvaṃtariḥ svayam | svasthīkartuṃ na śaknoti kālaprāptaṃ na cānyathā
Même Dhanvantari lui-même ne peut rendre la santé à celui que tourmentent toutes sortes de maladies lorsque l’heure fixée est venue ; il ne peut en être autrement.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the chapter)
Concept: Even the divine healer cannot reverse what time has ripened; accept destiny’s boundary and seek the timeless refuge.
Application: Pursue health and treatment, but prepare inwardly for death through remembrance, ethical living, and devotion; prioritize spiritual ‘immunity’ (vairāgya, bhakti).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Dhanvantari appears with a radiant aura, holding a pot of amṛta and medicinal herbs, standing beside a patient whose life-thread is shown as a fading golden line. Above them, Kāla’s calm presence turns the scene from medical drama into spiritual instruction: the healer’s compassion meets the boundary of destiny.","primary_figures":["Dhanvantari","a suffering patient","personification of Kāla","attending sage or devotee"],"setting":"A sacred healing pavilion near a small shrine—herb bundles, brass vessels, and a lamp before a Viṣṇu emblem, blending medicine with devotion.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["amṛta gold","turquoise","white lotus","cinnamon brown","deep violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Dhanvantari with amṛta-kalaśa and herbs, ornate crown and jewelry; patient reclining; Kāla as a dignified dark figure with halo; gold leaf on Dhanvantari’s halo, amṛta pot, and shrine lamp; rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornamentation, traditional South Indian iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle dawn light over a healing pavilion; Dhanvantari rendered with refined features and soft turquoise garments; the patient’s fading life-thread subtly painted; Kāla as a serene shadow in the background; delicate brushwork, cool palette, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Dhanvantari in bold outlines with characteristic eyes, holding amṛta pot; patient and attendants stylized; Kāla as contrasting dark form; natural pigments with strong reds/yellows/greens and mural symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Dhanvantari figure framed by lotus borders and floral vines; amṛta pot highlighted in gold; subtle Viṣṇu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) in the border; deep blues and gold accents, devotional ambience with decorative herb motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","gentle tanpura drone","morning birds","lamp crackle","quiet breathing"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sarvarogādyairapi = sarva-roga-ādyaiḥ + api; dhanvaṃtariḥ (orthographic variant of dhanvantariḥ); cānyathā = ca + anyathā
FAQs
It teaches the inevitability of kāla (destined time): when one’s appointed time has come, even the greatest healer cannot reverse it.
No. It emphasizes a boundary condition: medicine can treat disease, but it cannot override the finality of death when the destined time has arrived.
Cultivate timely responsibility—care for health and virtue while time remains, and accept with clarity that not everything is controllable when fate (kāla) ripens.