Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 75
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
शुचिरेकप्रदेशोपि शुचिर्न स्यादृतेऽपि वा । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ मृत्तोयैः शोध्यते करः
śucirekapradeśopi śucirna syādṛte'pi vā | divā vā yadi vā rātrau mṛttoyaiḥ śodhyate karaḥ
ഒരു ഭാഗം ശുചിയെന്നു തോന്നിയാലും, വിധിപൂർവ ശോധനം കൂടാതെ യഥാർത്ഥ ശുചിത്വം ഉണ്ടാകില്ല. പകലോ രാത്രിയോ, മണ്ണും വെള്ളവുംകൊണ്ട് കൈ ശുദ്ധമാകുന്നു।
Unspecified (contextual narrator/instructor within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Purity is procedural and holistic: partial cleanliness is insufficient; proper purification uses earth and water, day or night.
Application: Be consistent with small disciplines: wash hands properly before worship/food; avoid ‘half-measures’ in ethics and practice—complete what you begin.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder at twilight carefully purifies his hands with clean earth and water beside a small courtyard shrine. The scene emphasizes quiet precision: a clay lump, a water pot, and a neat kuśa bundle nearby, suggesting that outer discipline supports inner devotion.","primary_figures":["a gṛhastha devotee","a small household shrine (Viṣṇu symbol or śālagrāma pedestal)"],"setting":"Village courtyard with tulasi-vṛndāvana in the background (as an environmental motif), water pot (kalaśa), and a small lamp near the shrine.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","clay brown","night indigo","leaf green","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a gṛhastha purifying hands with earth and water before a small Viṣṇu shrine; gold leaf on the lamp flame and shrine arch, rich reds and greens in clothing, ornate border, traditional South Indian domestic devotional setting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard at dusk, delicate brushwork; devotee washing hands with a small clay lump and water pot; soft twilight blues, warm lamp glow, lyrical domestic calm, refined facial features and gentle architectural lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—devotee near a stylized shrine, lamp and water pot prominent; warm reds/yellows/greens; clear gesture of hand purification; temple-wall aesthetic applied to a domestic scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: courtyard shrine framed by lotus borders; devotee performing hand purification; deep blue background with gold floral motifs; tulasi-vṛndāvana and lamp rendered ornamentally, devotional domestic piety emphasized."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft bell","water pouring","evening insects","gentle tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शुचिः + एकप्रदेशः + अपि → शुचिरेkapradeśopi (इ + ए → ए; अपि → ’पि). शुचिः + न → शुचिर्न. ऋते + अपि → ऋतेऽपि (ए + अ → ’). मृत् + तोयैः → मृत्तोयैः (त् + त → त्त).
FAQs
It teaches that real cleanliness requires proper purification, specifically cleansing the hands using earth (clay/soil) and water, regardless of time (day or night).
The verse emphasizes śauca (purity) as a disciplined, method-based practice—partial or assumed cleanliness is insufficient without the prescribed means of purification.
To indicate that rules of purification apply consistently at all times; the obligation to cleanse is not limited by circumstances or time of day.