Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 15
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
भक्ष्यं भोज्यं पेयलेह्यं चोष्यं खाद्यं च भूपते । तासां भेदाः षडंगाश्च मधुराद्याश्च षड्गुणाः
bhakṣyaṃ bhojyaṃ peyalehyaṃ coṣyaṃ khādyaṃ ca bhūpate | tāsāṃ bhedāḥ ṣaḍaṃgāśca madhurādyāśca ṣaḍguṇāḥ
Wahai raja, makanan itu enam jenis: (1) bhakṣya—yang dikunyah, (2) bhojya—yang dimakan sebagai hidangan, (3) peya—yang diminum, (4) lehya—yang dijilat, (5) coṣya—yang disedut, dan (6) khādya—yang digigit. Inilah enam pembahagian; demikian juga ada enam rasa, bermula dengan manis dan seterusnya.
Pulastya (in dialogue with Bhīṣma)
Concept: Regulated consumption is intelligible and classifiable; knowing types of food and tastes supports self-mastery.
Application: Practice mindful eating: recognize what you are doing (chewing/drinking/licking etc.), reduce compulsive snacking, and favor simple tastes; begin meals with a brief offering/prayer.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pulastya sits on a kusa-grass seat, palm-leaf manuscript open, instructing Bhīṣma in a quiet hall. Before them, six small platters illustrate the six modes of eating, while six spice bowls symbolize the tastes beginning with sweetness—turning doctrine into a tangible lesson.","primary_figures":["Pulastya","Bhīṣma"],"setting":"forest hermitage teaching pavilion with a low altar-like table displaying foods and spices; attendants at a respectful distance","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron","ivory","deep maroon","emerald","lapis blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pulastya teaching Bhīṣma—two seated figures with ornate halos; in front, six platters and six spice bowls labeled by gesture; gold leaf on halos, vessel rims, and manuscript edges; rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments on Bhīṣma’s royal attire, traditional South Indian compositional symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate guru-śiṣya discourse—Pulastya in simple white, Bhīṣma in subdued royal garments; delicate rendering of six small dishes and spice bowls; cool palette, refined faces, soft forest backdrop with slender trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Pulastya and Bhīṣma in profile; six dishes arranged in a neat row; strong red/yellow/green pigments, stylized eyes, temple-wall geometry, minimal shading with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Vaishnava didactic tableau framed by lotus borders—two seated figures, six dishes and six rasa bowls forming a mandala; deep blue ground with gold highlights; intricate floral patterns, subtle conch-disc motifs in corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["manuscript rustle","soft bell punctuation","forest breeze","distant conch (faint)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: peya-lehyaṃ: dvandva compound written as peyalehyaṃ. coṣyaṃ = ca + oṣyam. ṣaḍaṃgāśca = ṣaṭ-aṃgāḥ + ca. madhurādyāśca = madhura-ādyāḥ + ca. ṣaḍguṇāḥ = ṣaṭ-guṇāḥ.
FAQs
They are bhakṣya (chewable), bhojya (meal-food), peya (drinkable), lehya (lickable), coṣya (suckable), and khādya (biteable/edible).
They refer to the classical six rasas: sweet (madhura), sour (amla), salty (lavaṇa), pungent (kaṭu), bitter (tikta), and astringent (kaṣāya).
The verse frames eating as a disciplined, knowable practice: by understanding types of intake and tastes, one can pursue moderation and mindful consumption aligned with dharma.