Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 3
Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation
Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment
दुःखेन महताविष्टो ज्ञानमाह प्रपीडितः । आत्मोवाच । तव वाक्यं महाप्राज्ञ न कृतं तु मया तदा
duḥkhena mahatāviṣṭo jñānamāha prapīḍitaḥ | ātmovāca | tava vākyaṃ mahāprājña na kṛtaṃ tu mayā tadā
महान् दुःख से आविष्ट और पीड़ा से दबा हुआ ‘ज्ञान’ बोला। आत्मा ने कहा—हे महाप्राज्ञ! उस समय मैंने आपके वचन का पालन नहीं किया।
Ātmā (the Self), within a dialogue where Jñāna is also speaking (personified)
Concept: Suffering ripens into humility: the Self admits neglecting Wisdom’s counsel, revealing how heedlessness sustains bondage.
Application: When you recognize repeated mistakes, practice honest self-audit (svādhyāya), seek guidance, and convert insight into daily discipline rather than regret alone.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a subtle, dreamlike inner landscape, Jñāna appears as a luminous sage with a palm-leaf manuscript, while Ātmā is portrayed as a calm, radiant figure veiled by a thin mist of sorrow. The Self bows slightly, confessing neglect, as the mist begins to part and a clear path of light opens forward.","primary_figures":["Jñāna (personified Wisdom)","Ātmā (personified Self)"],"setting":"An interior ‘mind-temple’ with faint pillars shaped like lotuses; a threshold leading from shadow to light symbolizes turning toward right practice.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","sandalwood beige","pearl white","smoky blue","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Jñāna as a seated sage with gold-leaf halo holding palm-leaf śāstra; Ātmā as a radiant figure in humble posture; ornate arch with lotus motifs, rich reds and greens, gold leaf emphasizing the dawning clarity after confession.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate two-figure dialogue in a quiet pavilion; delicate brushwork, cool blues and creams; Jñāna’s face serene, Ātmā’s expression remorseful yet hopeful; a thin stream of light forming a path beyond them.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Jñāna with stylized eyes and manuscript; Ātmā with a soft aura; background in earthy reds/yellows with lotus medallions, temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central medallion of Jñāna and Ātmā amid lotus vines; border of śaṅkha-cakra motifs; deep blue ground with gold and white highlights, intricate floral filigree framing the moral confession."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","temple bells (faint)","page-turning rustle (subtle)","silence after the confession"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महताविष्टो = महता + आविष्टः; ज्ञानमाह = ज्ञानम् + आह; आत्मोवाच = आत्मा + उवाच; ह्रस्व/दीर्घ-सन्धि तथा विसर्ग-लोपानुसार।
FAQs
The verse explicitly marks “ātmovāca” (“the Self said”). The Self addresses a “mahāprājña” (a greatly wise person/sage), acknowledging that the sage’s advice was not followed earlier.
It emphasizes accountability: suffering prompts reflection, and one should heed wise counsel in time rather than regret neglecting it later.
By contrasting distress with awakened reflection, it frames inner discernment (ātma-jñāna) as arising through remorse and correction—an impetus to realign conduct with dharma and guidance.