Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 37
Entering Kāmodā and the Doctrine of Dreams, Sleep, and the Self
शुष्का भस्त्रा यथा श्वासं कुरुते वायुपूरिता । तद्वच्छब्दवशाच्छ्वासमुदानः कुरुते बलात्
śuṣkā bhastrā yathā śvāsaṃ kurute vāyupūritā | tadvacchabdavaśācchvāsamudānaḥ kurute balāt
Seperti belos yang kering, apabila dipenuhi udara, menghembuskan nafas; demikian juga, di bawah daya bunyi (śabda), prāṇa udāna memaksa nafas bergerak dengan kuat.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Prāṇa-vāyus respond to subtle causes; sound (śabda) can impel the upward current (udāna), revealing the body as an instrument moved by unseen forces.
Application: Use disciplined speech and mantra-japa; observe how breath changes with sound (chanting, kīrtana) and cultivate steadiness rather than agitation.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin sits in stillness while a dry leather bellows beside him expands and contracts, visually echoing the rise of udāna. Ripples of luminous syllables (mantra-sound) flow from a conch-like source, entering the yogin’s chest and lifting upward as a subtle wind.","primary_figures":["meditating yogin","personified Udāna-vāyu (subtle wind deity)","abstract mantra-syllables (Oṁ-like glyphs)"],"setting":"Hermitage interior with ritual implements—bellows, fire altar embers, kusa grass mat—suggesting disciplined practice rather than spectacle.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky umber","saffron gold","indigo shadow","copper bronze","ash gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated yogin with serene face, stylized bellows at his side, gold-leaf aura shaped like rising breath, mantra glyphs embossed in gold, rich maroon backdrop, ornate borders, South Indian iconographic symmetry, gem-like highlights on the conch and ornaments of the personified Udāna.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate yogin in a quiet kutir, bellows rendered with fine linework, pale moon-silver sound-waves curling upward, cool indigo and pine-green accents, lyrical naturalism with small details—incense smoke, prayer beads, and a distant river line.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm ochres and reds, the yogin with large expressive eyes, Udāna as a subtle deity-form rising from the navel to the throat, mantra-sound depicted as rhythmic bands, temple-wall aesthetic with vegetal borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional sound as floral-vine patterns, lotus motifs around the yogin, peacocks listening to the mantra, deep blue ground with gold highlights, intricate border of tulasi leaves (as a Vaishnava hint), conch and bells framing the breath imagery."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","faint temple bells","controlled exhalation","distant conch shell","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāyupūritā = vāyu-pūritā; tadvacchabdavaśācchvāsamudānaḥ = tadvat śabda-vaśāt śvāsaṃ udānaḥ; balāt is ablative used adverbially.
FAQs
It explains that breath can be driven mechanically—like air in a bellows—suggesting that prāṇa can be powerfully impelled rather than moving only gently or voluntarily.
Udāna is one of the principal vital airs (prāṇas), typically associated with upward movement (speech, effort, and upward flow). Here it is described as forcefully driving the breath under the influence of sound.
The verse indicates that sound can control or propel the movement of breath—pointing to practices where vocalization/chanting affects prāṇic activity.