Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 64
Self-Knowledge and the Allegory of the Five Elements & Senses
Karma, Association, and Rebirth
एवं व्यापारसंबंधः कायमध्ये महामते । जिह्वोवाच । बुद्धियुक्ता अहं तात रसभेदान्विचारये
evaṃ vyāpārasaṃbaṃdhaḥ kāyamadhye mahāmate | jihvovāca | buddhiyuktā ahaṃ tāta rasabhedānvicāraye
हे महामते, शरीर के भीतर कार्यों का ऐसा ही संबंध है। तब जिह्वा बोली—हे तात, बुद्धि से युक्त होकर मैं रसों के भेदों का विचार करूँगी।
Jihvā (the Tongue), personified
Concept: Taste is to be analyzed with buddhi; discernment over flavors supports mastery over craving and supports dharma.
Application: During ekādaśī/vrata days, consciously observe taste-cravings; prefer simple sattvic foods, chant before eating, and treat food as prasāda rather than indulgence.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The personified Tongue appears as a graceful goddess-like figure holding a small golden bowl of prasāda, while six streams of color rise from it representing the tastes—sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent—each labeled as a petal on a lotus. A calm Buddhi figure stands beside, indicating discernment, and a Vishnu altar in the background sanctifies the act of tasting.","primary_figures":["Personified Jihvā (Tongue)","Personified Buddhi","Vishnu (as altar deity)"],"setting":"A devotional kitchen-sanctum: part temple, part inner-body allegory, with offerings, lamps, and a lotus diagram of rasas.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron","ghee-gold","cobalt blue","lotus pink","herbal green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Jihvā as a richly adorned figure presenting a gold bowl of prasāda before a Vishnu shrine; a lotus chart of six rasas radiates behind in jewel tones; heavy gold leaf on bowl, lamps, and Vishnu halo; rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch border.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor scene with delicate textiles; Jihvā and Buddhi converse near a small altar; six taste-streams painted as translucent ribbons turning into lotus petals; cool shadows, refined faces, subtle fragrance imagery through flowers and incense smoke.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Jihvā holding a bowl, with stylized six-petal rasa lotus; Vishnu shrine icon at back; strong red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall symmetry, characteristic eye shapes and patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus mandala of six rasas surrounding a small Vishnu emblem; Jihvā depicted symbolically as a red lotus petal offering prasāda; intricate floral borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights, cows/peacocks in corners to signal devotional auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","clinking of offering vessels","soft chanting (japa) undertone","incense crackle (subtle)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: व्यापारसंबंधः = व्यापार + संबंधः; जिह्वोवाच → जिह्वा + उवाच; रसभेदान्विचारये → रसभेदान् + विचारये
FAQs
The speaker is the personified tongue (jihvā), presented as part of a didactic dialogue explaining bodily functions and the role of the senses.
“Rasa-bheda” refers to the distinctions among tastes/flavors—i.e., categorizing and discerning different tastes as the tongue’s domain.
It highlights disciplined discernment: each faculty has a proper scope and duty, and wisdom lies in understanding and regulating sense-activities rather than being driven by them.