Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 14

The Nature of Knowledge, the Guru as Living Tīrtha, and the Law of Final Remembrance

Devanagari script

भव स्वनियतो नित्यं जिताहारो जितेंद्रियः । मैत्रं नैव प्रकर्तव्यं वैरं दूरे परित्यजेत्

Transliteration

bhava svaniyato nityaṃ jitāhāro jiteṃdriyaḥ | maitraṃ naiva prakartavyaṃ vairaṃ dūre parityajet

Translation

ನಿತ್ಯವೂ ಸ್ವನಿಯಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಇರು; ಆಹಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದು ಇಂದ್ರಿಯಗಳನ್ನು ಜಯಿಸು. ಆತುರದಿಂದ ಅತಿಸ್ನೇಹ ಮಾಡಬೇಡ; ವೈರವನ್ನೂ ದೂರವಾಗಿ ತ್ಯಜಿಸು।

Word by Word

• भव: be
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ) = Imperative; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन

• स्वनियतः: self-disciplined
• स्वनियतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; समासः = कर्मधारय (स्वः एव नियतः = self-restrained)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverbial accusative ‘always’

• जिताहारः: one who has controlled food
• जिताहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; समासः = कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (जितः आहारः यस्य = having conquered/controlled diet)

• जितेन्द्रियः: sense-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; समासः = बहुव्रीहि-भावार्थक तत्पुरुष (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य = one whose senses are conquered)

• मैत्रम्: friendship
• मैत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (here as predicate/subject: ‘friendship’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• एव: indeed; at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: to be done; to be undertaken
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्) = gerundive/obligatory; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; अर्थः ‘to be done/should be done’ (with negation: should not be done)

• वैरम्: enmity
• वैरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (क्रियाविशेषण/locative adverb) = ‘far away’

• परित्यजेत्: should abandon
• परित्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आदेश) = Optative; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional verse within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narrative context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: jiteṃdriyaḥ = jitendriyaḥ (ं + इ → ें); naiva = na + eva.

FAQs

What practical disciplines does this verse recommend?

It advises steady self-restraint (svaniyama), moderation in food (jitāhāra), and mastery over the senses (jitendriya).

Why does the verse warn against quickly forming friendships?

The line cautions against impulsive or indiscriminate intimacy; it promotes discernment and steadiness in relationships to avoid later conflict or dependency.

What is the central ethical lesson of the verse?

Cultivate inner discipline and remove hostility: control appetites and senses, be cautious in attachments, and abandon enmity altogether.