Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 144
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
त्रुटते भोजने कंठो भोजने च कुतः सुखम् । क्षुधा हि सर्वरोगाणां व्याधिः श्रेष्ठतमः स्मृतः
truṭate bhojane kaṃṭho bhojane ca kutaḥ sukham | kṣudhā hi sarvarogāṇāṃ vyādhiḥ śreṣṭhatamaḥ smṛtaḥ
En mangeant, la gorge s’étrangle ; où donc serait le plaisir dans la nourriture ? Car la faim est tenue pour la plus éminente des afflictions parmi toutes les maladies.
Unspecified (context not provided for dialogue attribution)
Concept: Sensory enjoyment in eating is unstable and mixed with discomfort; hunger itself is a dominant disease-like affliction.
Application: Practice mindful restraint: eat slowly, avoid greed, and remember the body’s limits; use hunger and appetite as cues for discipline rather than compulsion.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark, symbolic tableau: a man mid-meal suddenly coughs, clutching his throat, while the food on the plate appears momentarily alluring yet turns visually heavy and oppressive. Behind him, a shadowy figure labeled ‘Kshudha’ (Hunger) looms like a physician’s diagnosis, suggesting hunger as the chief disease driving beings.","primary_figures":["householder (symbolic everyman)","personified Kshudha (hunger as a shadow-entity)"],"setting":"simple household dining area rendered as an allegorical stage","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["smoky black","dull bronze","pale skin tones","muted saffron","cold gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical scene of a man choking while eating, with a stylized dark personification of Kshudha behind; gold leaf used sparingly to highlight the deceptive shine of food and the lamp, rich red background, ornate border to contrast the moral lesson with traditional devotional aesthetics.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate interior with delicate detail, the man’s startled expression, food painted with subtle realism, a translucent shadow-figure of hunger; restrained palette, fine lines, psychological nuance rather than gore.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, simplified forms, hunger personified as a dark figure with exaggerated eyes, the choking gesture clearly depicted; strong reds/yellows/greens with black contouring, didactic mural clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition where the plate of food is framed by lotus borders yet visually ‘heavy,’ and a dark hunger motif curls like a vine; deep blue ground with gold floral borders, devotional textile aesthetics used to convey moral restraint."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["brief silence between lines","low mridangam pulse","soft bell","breath-like wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard word-joining in pāda; śreṣṭhatamaḥ is śreṣṭha + tama (superlative formation).
FAQs
It teaches that hunger undermines even the enjoyment of food and is therefore described as the most dominant affliction among diseases.
It uses a vivid bodily image to show how distress (especially hunger and its effects) can turn eating into discomfort rather than pleasure.
It highlights the seriousness of hunger and supports a dharmic emphasis on alleviating hunger—through right living, moderation, and charitable feeding (anna-dāna).