Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 98
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
संमूढस्य स्मृतिभ्रंशः शीघ्रं संजायते पुनः । स्मृतिभ्रंशात्ततस्तस्य पूर्वकर्मवशेन च
saṃmūḍhasya smṛtibhraṃśaḥ śīghraṃ saṃjāyate punaḥ | smṛtibhraṃśāttatastasya pūrvakarmavaśena ca
മോഹഗ്രസ്തനിൽ സ്മൃതിഭ്രംശം വേഗത്തിൽ വീണ്ടും ഉണ്ടാകുന്നു; ആ സ്മൃതിഭ്രംശത്തിൽ നിന്ന്, പൂർവകർമ്മവശാൽ, തുടർഫലങ്ങൾ സംഭവിക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Delusion precipitates smṛti-bhraṁśa; once memory fails, past karma drives the person into further entanglement.
Application: Build protective habits of remembrance (nāma-japa, daily pūjā, sāttvika diet, truthful speech) so that stress or temptation doesn’t erase discernment; when forgetfulness appears, immediately seek satsanga and scriptural recollection.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A human figure sits amid scattered palm-leaf manuscripts and broken prayer beads, eyes glazed as a dark veil labeled ‘Smṛti-bhraṁśa’ descends. Behind him, a wheel of karma—etched with past deeds—turns like a heavy millstone, pulling him forward while a faint, luminous nāma of Viṣṇu flickers at the edge of the veil.","primary_figures":["a human jīva","allegorical Karma-wheel","allegorical Smṛti (as a fading lamp)","subtle Viṣṇu nāma-light"],"setting":"An interior courtyard near a small shrine; the shrine lamp is dimming as the karma-wheel casts long shadows.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit with encroaching shadow","color_palette":["oil-lamp gold","deep maroon","indigo shadow","parchment beige","dull iron gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a courtyard shrine scene with a dim ghee lamp, a jīva surrounded by scattered manuscripts and broken mālā, a large ornate karma-wheel behind rendered with gold leaf accents, a dark veil descending, and a tiny radiant Viṣṇu nāma motif in gold; rich reds/greens, jewel-like ornaments, traditional framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic shrine setting, delicate lines showing a fading lamp and a thoughtful yet confused figure, a symbolic wheel of karma in the background like a painted mandala, cool blues and soft browns, lyrical melancholy, refined facial expression.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figure with large expressive eyes, bold outlines, karma-wheel as a circular motif with repeating deed-icons, lamp in yellow-red pigments, shadow veil in dark blue-black, temple-wall composition with rhythmic patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central circular karma mandala with floral borders turning into chain-like motifs, the jīva near a small shrine, a tiny Viṣṇu-lotus emblem shining through patterned darkness, intricate ornamentation, deep blues and gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft bell","low tanpura drone","night insects","faint conch in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्मृतिभ्रंशात्ततः = स्मृतिभ्रंशात् + ततः; पूर्वकर्मवशेन = पूर्व-कर्म-वशेन.
FAQs
It links delusion (saṃmoha) to forgetfulness (smṛtibhraṃśa) and then to further negative outcomes driven by one’s past karma—showing how inner confusion can perpetuate harmful patterns.
Karma is presented as a constraining force (vaśa) from prior actions, shaping what happens after memory and discernment are lost.
Guarding clarity and remembrance of right conduct is crucial; when one becomes deluded and forgetful, prior tendencies and past actions more easily push one into further mistakes.