Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 21
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
सुशीघ्रमनुधावंतं विधानमनुधावति । शोभते संनिपातेन यथाकर्म पुराकृतम्
suśīghramanudhāvaṃtaṃ vidhānamanudhāvati | śobhate saṃnipātena yathākarma purākṛtam
जो मनुष्य शीघ्र दौड़ता है, उसके पीछे दैव का विधान भी शीघ्र दौड़ता है। दोनों के मिलते ही पूर्वकृत कर्म के अनुसार ही फल प्रकट होता है।
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; exact dialogue pair not provided in the input)
Concept: Karmic ordinance follows beings swiftly and manifests precisely according to prior deeds.
Application: Act as if consequences are immediate: choose truthful speech, non-harm, and daily worship; when outcomes arrive, read them as prompts for correction rather than blame.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone traveler runs across a vast plain while an unseen, luminous ‘vidhāna’ (cosmic ordinance) streams behind him like a ribbon of light, catching up without haste yet with certainty. When it meets him, the ribbon resolves into a balanced scale inscribed with past deeds, showing that the encounter is exactly ‘yathā-karmā’.","primary_figures":["a human traveler (symbolic jīva)","personified Dharma/Daiva as a subtle luminous presence","Vishnu as distant cosmic witness (optional, in the sky)"],"setting":"open earthly landscape transitioning into a faint cosmic horizon, suggesting the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa’s moral world","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["indigo twilight","golden white","ash gray","lotus pink","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a symbolic jīva running on an earth-toned ground while a gold-leaf cosmic ribbon labeled ‘vidhāna’ follows and merges into a jeweled balance-scale of karma; Vishnu as a small but radiant upper-register icon with conch and discus, heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a slender traveler in flowing garments runs along a pale ochre path; behind him a translucent, calligraphic stream of light curls like fate; distant blue hills and a soft sky hold a tiny Vishnu-cloud motif, delicate brushwork, cool palette, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figure of the jīva in motion; behind, a stylized serpentine band of light becomes a dharma-scale; upper corner shows Vishnu’s calm face and symbols, natural pigments with dominant reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a moving figure with a trailing floral-vine ‘shadow of karma’; lotus borders and gold accents; in the upper field, a small Shrinathji/Krishna-Vishnu emblem as cosmic governor; intricate floral filigree, deep blues and gold."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","soft tanpura drone","distant conch shell","measured silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुशीघ्रम् = सु + शीघ्रम् (कर्मधारय). यथाकर्म = यथा + कर्म (अव्ययीभाव). पुराकृतम् = पुरा + कृतम् (अव्ययीभाव).
FAQs
It teaches karmaphala: outcomes arise when one’s past deeds and the ‘ordinance’ (vidhāna/daiva) converge, and the result manifests according to prior action.
It emphasizes moral responsibility: even if ‘fate’ is spoken of as pursuing a person, the determining measure is “yathā-karma purākṛtam”—in accordance with what was done before.
Running from consequences is futile; therefore one should act carefully now, since future circumstances will ‘meet’ one in forms shaped by earlier choices.