Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 43
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
राजन्प्रत्यक्षमेवैकं दृश्यते लोकसाक्षिकम् । परित्यज्य प्रियान्प्राणान्धनार्थं लोभमोहिताः
rājanpratyakṣamevaikaṃ dṛśyate lokasākṣikam | parityajya priyānprāṇāndhanārthaṃ lobhamohitāḥ
हे राजन्, एक बात प्रत्यक्ष दिखाई देती है, और सारा लोक उसका साक्षी है—लोभ से मोहित लोग धन के लिए अपने प्रिय प्राणों तक को त्याग देते हैं।
Unspecified (addressing a king: rājan)
Concept: Greed (lobha) and delusion (moha) invert values: people sacrifice life itself for wealth, revealing the urgency of cultivating detachment and righteous giving.
Application: Audit motivations behind work and accumulation; practice ‘enoughness’; avoid harmful livelihoods; redirect surplus to service (anna-dāna, medical aid, temple/community support).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a royal court, a sage points toward a stark tableau: merchants and soldiers scrambling over spilled coins while a fallen man lies ignored, illustrating how wealth eclipses life. The king sits troubled on his throne, the ‘world as witness’ shown by a ring of onlookers—citizens, ascetics, and even animals—staring in silent judgment.","primary_figures":["a king (rājan)","admonishing sage/narrator","greed-stricken townspeople","court attendants"],"setting":"palace audience hall opening onto a bustling market street where the cautionary scene unfolds","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["royal maroon","ash gray","brass gold","midnight blue","dust brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: king on ornate throne listening to a sage, gold leaf on crown and pillars, foreground scene of coins and frantic figures, expressive faces, rich reds/greens, embossed gold to contrast sacred counsel with worldly glitter.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: court veranda overlooking a market, delicate lines showing moral drama, subdued palette with sharp gold accents for coins, refined yet sorrowful expressions, layered narrative vignette technique.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized king and sage, moral tableau of greed in simplified forms, strong red-yellow-green palette with dark blue shadows, temple-wall storytelling bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central king and sage framed by lotus borders, surrounding medallions depicting scenes of greed and loss, deep blue ground with gold coin motifs, intricate floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["court hush","distant market clamor","sudden silence","low drum pulse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राजन्प्रत्यक्षम् = राजन् + प्रत्यक्षम्; प्रत्यक्षमेवैकम् = प्रत्यक्षम् + एव + एकम्; लोकसाक्षिकम् = लोक + साक्षिकम्; प्रियान्प्राणान् = प्रियान् + प्राणान्.
FAQs
It warns that greed can delude people into sacrificing even their very lives for wealth, a fact seen openly in society.
It emphasizes that this is not a hidden metaphysical claim but a publicly observable truth—human actions driven by greed are evident everywhere.
A king should recognize greed as a destructive force in society and govern in ways that discourage exploitative wealth-seeking and protect life and moral order.