Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
Viṣṇu’s Māyā and the Stratagem Against Vihuṇḍa
with the Kāmodā–Gaṅgādvāra motif
संगमं देहि मे भद्रे रक्षरक्ष वरानने । संगमात्तव देवेशि यद्यदिच्छसि सांप्रतम्
saṃgamaṃ dehi me bhadre rakṣarakṣa varānane | saṃgamāttava deveśi yadyadicchasi sāṃpratam
“Wahai yang membawa berkat, kurniakanlah kepadaku penyatuan; lindungilah aku, lindungilah aku, wahai Dewi berwajah indah. Wahai Dewi para dewa, daripada penyatuan denganmu, pada saat ini apa pun yang kau kehendaki akan menjadi nyata.”
Unspecified (context required to identify the speaker reliably)
Concept: When desire becomes desperation, the tongue turns to false praise and the mind bargains away integrity.
Application: Notice manipulative speech patterns in oneself—excessive flattery, urgency, ‘anything you want’ promises—and step back into satya and self-control.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vihuṇḍa, trembling between lust and fear of losing the vision before him, folds his hands in a distorted ‘prayer’ that is really craving. Māyā stands unmoved, her aura like a mirage—beautiful, distant, and dangerous—while the air seems to thicken with illusion.","primary_figures":["Vihuṇḍa (Dānava)","Māyā (as Devī-like enchantress)"],"setting":"A liminal crossroads: grove meets a rocky clearing, suggesting a threshold between dharma and delusion.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance veiled by mist","color_palette":["smoky violet","champaka yellow","silver mist","blood red accent","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vihuṇḍa in dramatic supplication with exaggerated yearning eyes, hands joined; Māyā as a goddess-like figure with gold leaf halo, layered silk, and intricate jewelry; misty grove background with stylized flowers, heavy gold borders emphasizing the seductive yet perilous mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate psychological scene—Vihuṇḍa leaning forward pleading, Māyā slightly turned away, serene; cool mist, delicate flora, refined facial expressions; subtle tension conveyed through spacing and gaze lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, Māyā frontal and composed, Vihuṇḍa angled and agitated; patterned background with curling vines; warm pigments with a pale aura around Māyā to signal illusionary divinity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of blossoms and creepers; central luminous feminine figure (Māyā) with symmetrical lotus motifs; Vihuṇḍa at lower corner pleading; deep blue field with gold highlights, peacocks and stylized clouds suggesting enchantment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["quickened mridang pulse","wind through leaves","sudden conch-like swell","tense silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संगमात्तव = सङ्गमात् + तव; यद्यदिच्छसि = यत् + यत् + इच्छसि (यद्यद्).
FAQs
The verse addresses a feminine divine figure as 'deveśi' (“mistress/lady of the gods”). The exact identity (e.g., Pārvatī, Lakṣmī, or another goddess) depends on the surrounding narrative context of Adhyaya 118.
It is a plea for union (saṅgama) combined with an urgent request for protection, framed as a request to a powerful goddess whose will is portrayed as efficacious.
It implies the potency of divine will (icchā-śakti): the addressed goddess is depicted as capable of immediately bringing about outcomes according to her desire, highlighting her sovereignty and power.