Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 36
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
भूतानि स्थावरादीनि दिवि वा यदि वा भुवि । सर्वं कलयते कालः कालो ह्येक इदं जगत्
bhūtāni sthāvarādīni divi vā yadi vā bhuvi | sarvaṃ kalayate kālaḥ kālo hyeka idaṃ jagat
Segala makhluk—mulai dari yang tak bergerak—baik di surga maupun di bumi, semuanya diukur dan diatur oleh Kala (Waktu). Sungguh, seluruh jagat ini adalah Kala semata.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Time governs all beings in every realm; recognizing this dissolves pride and turns one toward the timeless refuge.
Application: Contemplate mortality daily; prioritize sādhanā (japa, Ekadashi restraint, Tulasi-sevā) over postponement; simplify life around what survives time—devotion and virtue.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast cosmic tableau shows immovable mountains, trees, humans, animals, and celestial beings arranged across earth and heaven, all encircled by a colossal wheel of Time whose spokes are seasons and yugas. At the wheel’s hub shines a subtle Vishnu-emblem—suggesting that kāla is His ordinance—while everything else appears measured, counted, and gently drawn along.","primary_figures":["personified Kāla as a cosmic wheel","celestial beings (devas)","humans and animals","mountains and trees (sthāvara)","a subtle Vishnu symbol (chakra/shaligrama-like hub)"],"setting":"cosmic panorama blending earth, sky, and heavenly realms with layered clouds and horizon bands","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["cosmic violet","chakra gold","cloud white","deep teal","sunrise orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: monumental kāla-cakra dominating the composition, gold leaf on the wheel and its yuga/season motifs; below, detailed registers of mountains, trees, humans, animals, and devas in jeweled attire; at the hub, a Vishnu-chakra emblem glowing; rich reds/greens/blues with ornate borders and gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive multi-register cosmography—earthly band with forests and mountains, upper band with devas in pale palaces; a translucent wheel of time overlays the sky; delicate gradients, cool blues and violets, refined figures, lyrical clouds and distant horizons.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold circular kāla wheel with patterned spokes (seasons/yugas), stylized devas above and earthly beings below; strong black outlines, natural pigments, symmetrical temple-mural composition; central Vishnu-chakra motif as the wheel’s heart.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central golden wheel surrounded by concentric floral and lotus borders; vignettes of beings—trees, animals, humans, devas—placed in circular medallions around the wheel; deep indigo background with gold highlights, intricate repeating motifs, devotional-symbolic aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["deep drone (tanpura)","conch shell (single, distant)","temple bells (slow)","vast silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कालो ह्येक = कालः + हि + एकः (विसर्गलोपः); स्थावरादीनि = स्थावर-आदीनि (आदि-शब्देन समासः)।
FAQs
It teaches that Time (kāla) governs and measures all beings everywhere, and that the world’s changing nature is inseparable from Time’s rule.
To emphasize universality: no realm—celestial or terrestrial—lies outside the scope of Time’s governance.
Recognizing Time’s supremacy encourages detachment from pride in status or longevity and supports a disciplined life oriented toward lasting spiritual aims rather than temporary conditions.