Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 176
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
न ह्यस्ति सर्ववित्कश्चिन्न वा मूर्खोपि सर्वतः । यावद्यस्तु विजानाति तावत्तत्र स पंडितः
na hyasti sarvavitkaścinna vā mūrkhopi sarvataḥ | yāvadyastu vijānāti tāvattatra sa paṃḍitaḥ
ആരും സർവ്വജ്ഞനല്ല; അതുപോലെ ആരും എല്ലാറ്റിലും പൂർണ്ണമായ മൂഢനുമല്ല. ഒരാൾ എന്തിനെ എത്രമാത്രം അറിയുന്നുവോ, അത്രത്തോളം ആ വിഷയത്തിൽ അവൻ പണ്ഡിതനാണ്.
Unspecified (context not provided for this single verse)
Concept: No one knows everything and no one is foolish in every way; a person is ‘learned’ to the extent of genuine understanding in a given domain.
Application: Avoid labeling people as ‘genius’ or ‘idiot’; identify specific competencies, learn from others, and teach without arrogance—especially in spiritual practice communities.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a temple courtyard school, students of different ages sit in a semicircle: one excels in recitation, another in ritual detail, another in compassionate service. A teacher points to a chalked mandala on the ground, illustrating that wisdom has many facets and grows by degrees.","primary_figures":["Ācārya (teacher)","Students (varied ages and backgrounds)"],"setting":"Temple courtyard or āśrama pāṭhaśālā with pillars, oil lamps, and palm-leaf texts","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","stone gray","turmeric yellow","deep maroon","peacock green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: temple courtyard classroom with gold leaf accents on pillars and lamps, teacher with ornate halo, students holding palm-leaf manuscripts, rich maroon and green garments, gem-like highlights, symmetrical composition with decorative border motifs of conch and lotus.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate pāṭhaśālā scene with delicate lines, soft lamp glow, cool shadows, students in gentle colors, detailed manuscripts, lyrical architecture and a quiet devotional ambiance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of teacher and students, stylized temple pillars, oil lamps as bright yellow-red forms, rhythmic patterns on floor mandala, expressive eyes, traditional pigment palette and narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: courtyard learning scene framed by intricate floral borders, repeated lotus motifs, patterned textiles, lamps and garlands, deep blue accents with gold highlights, devotional atmosphere emphasizing community learning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft student chanting","page rustle of palm leaves","temple bell punctuations","footsteps in courtyard","ambient hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न+हि+अस्ति→न ह्यस्ति; सर्ववित्+कश्चित्→सर्ववित्कश्चित्; मूर्खः+अपि→मूर्खोपि; यावत्+यः+तु→यावद्यस्तु; तावत्+तत्र→तावत्तत्र
FAQs
It teaches intellectual humility: nobody knows everything, and nobody is ignorant about everything; wisdom is measured by genuine understanding in a given domain.
In its plain ethical sense, it states that among ordinary people no one is universally all-knowing; it emphasizes practical humility rather than metaphysical claims.
Respect competence where it exists, avoid dismissing others as wholly ignorant, and recognize that expertise is contextual—one is a “paṇḍita” in the area one truly understands.