Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 22
Dialogue with the Parrot-Sage: Lineage, Ignorance, and the Vow of Learning
दिवारात्रौ न निद्रास्ति नास्ति सुखस्य साधनम् । तस्माद्दुःखमयं तात न यास्ये गुरुमंदिरम्
divārātrau na nidrāsti nāsti sukhasya sādhanam | tasmādduḥkhamayaṃ tāta na yāsye gurumaṃdiram
Siang dan malam aku tak juga tidur, dan tiada sarana untuk meraih kebahagiaan. Maka, wahai ayahanda, karena tempat itu dipenuhi duka, aku tidak akan pergi ke kediaman guru.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 122)
Concept: A life without rest or inner joy becomes a field of suffering; dharma requires balance—discipline should cultivate wellbeing and virtue, not crush the mind.
Application: Build routines that include rest, study, and devotion; if a system produces constant anxiety, reform it or seek guidance from compassionate elders.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A boy sits awake on a thin mat under a dim oil lamp, eyes ringed with sleeplessness, while the shadow of a distant ‘guru-mandira’ stretches across the wall like a looming fear. Outside, night insects hum; inside, the boy’s clasped hands and trembling posture convey exhaustion and refusal.","primary_figures":["son/student"],"setting":"simple hut interior at night; lamp, mat, small window showing dark sky","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit nocturne with heavy shadows","color_palette":["deep indigo","lamp-gold","copper brown","midnight violet","pale sand"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: nocturnal interior with a bright gold-leaf halo around the lamp flame, ornate border, the boy rendered with expressive eyes and folded hands; rich reds and greens in textiles, metallic sheen on lamp and vessels, devotional undertone via a small Vishnu symbol on the wall.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet night scene with delicate shading, cool blues and violets; the boy’s sleepless gaze directed toward the dark outline of the gurukula beyond the window; fine textile patterns, minimalism emphasizing mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, stylized lamp flame, the boy’s large eyes showing fatigue; warm yellow background transitioning to dark blue corners, symbolic shadow of the ‘guru-mandira’ as a graphic motif.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central vignette of the sleepless boy framed by lotus and creeper borders; night sky with stylized stars; subtle inclusion of a small tulasi pot motif as a promise of sattvic refuge, deep blue ground with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["oil lamp crackle","night insects","soft tanpura drone","brief conch in distance (optional)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निद्रास्ति = निद्रा + अस्ति; नास्ति = न + अस्ति; तस्माद्दुःखमयं = तस्मात् + दुःखमयम्; गुरुमंदिरम् = गुरु + मन्दिरम् (समास)
FAQs
It voices a state of distress—sleeplessness and lack of any means to attain happiness—and uses that suffering as the reason for refusing to go to the guru’s residence.
It presents a moment of reluctance toward approaching the guru, framed through personal misery, which in narrative contexts often sets up a corrective teaching about discipline, effort, or the true source of relief.
Avoid letting despair become an excuse for withdrawing from guidance; seeking instruction (especially from a guru) is often portrayed as a remedy for confusion and suffering rather than something to be avoided because of it.