Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 9

Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation

Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment

Devanagari script

एतद्वाक्यं ततः श्रुत्वा आत्मा वै ध्यानमागतः । ध्यानेन हि समं गर्भे संस्थितो मोहवर्जितः

Transliteration

etadvākyaṃ tataḥ śrutvā ātmā vai dhyānamāgataḥ | dhyānena hi samaṃ garbhe saṃsthito mohavarjitaḥ

Translation

この言葉を聞いて、真我はまことに禅定に入った。禅定の力により、胎内に安住して迷いを離れた。

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (Ablatival adverb: ‘from that/thereupon’)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्यय; ‘having heard’

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/निपात; emphasis)

• ध्यानम्: meditation (state)
• ध्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगतः: entered, came to
• आगतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि ‘has come/entered’

• ध्यानेन: by/through meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/निपात; causal/emphatic)

• समम्: equally, together
• समम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb; ‘equally/together’)

• गर्भे: in the womb
• गर्भे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• संस्थितः: remained situated
• संस्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘situated/established’

• मोहवर्जितः: free from delusion
• मोहवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोह + वर्जित (वृज्/वर्ज् धातु + क्त)
• Form: समास: मोह- (षष्ठी/उपपद) + वर्जित; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (contextual narration within the dialogue frame of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: एतद्वाक्यं = एतत् + वाक्यम्; ध्यानमागतः = ध्यानम् + आगतः।

FAQs

What is the main spiritual teaching of this verse?

It presents meditation (dhyāna) as a transformative inner state that produces steadiness (samatā) and removes delusion (moha).

What does 'garbhe' (in the womb) signify here?

Literally it means “in the womb,” implying an inward, enclosed condition; philosophically it can point to deep interiorization—remaining centered and undistracted even in constrained circumstances.

How does the verse connect meditation with liberation from confusion?

It states a direct causal link: by entering and sustaining meditation, one becomes “mohavarjitaḥ,” i.e., free from the mind’s भ्रम/ignorant misapprehension.