Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 63
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
पित्तस्य कुडवं ज्ञेयं कफस्यार्धाढकं तथा । वसायाश्च पलाः पंच तदर्धं फलकस्य च
pittasya kuḍavaṃ jñeyaṃ kaphasyārdhāḍhakaṃ tathā | vasāyāśca palāḥ paṃca tadardhaṃ phalakasya ca
Ketahuilah: sukatan pitta (hempedu) ialah satu kuḍava; kapha (kahak) ialah setengah āḍhaka. Vasā (lemak) lima pala, dan phalaka ialah separuh daripadanya.
Unspecified (context not provided; verse appears as a technical/medical-metrological statement within the narrative)
Concept: The body’s constituents are quantifiable and thus impermanent; spiritual discernment grows when one sees the body as an object of knowledge rather than the Self.
Application: Use bodily awareness to cultivate moderation and detachment: care for health without identity-clinging; let measurement/limits remind you to invest daily attention in japa, seva, and sattvic habits.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage sits beside palm-leaf manuscripts and a small balance scale, calmly instructing a royal listener about the body’s inner measures. Behind them, a faint translucent silhouette of a human form is diagrammed like a sacred yantra, suggesting the body as a temporary vessel while a subtle Vishnu-emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) glows in the distance as the true refuge.","primary_figures":["a teaching sage (Pulastya-like)","a listening king (Bhīṣma-like or generic rājan)","subtle Vishnu symbol in the background"],"setting":"Quiet hermitage study space with manuscripts, measuring vessels (kuḍava, āḍhaka), and ritual calm; distant riverbank hinted but not central.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","ink black","copper bronze","leaf green","soft saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene rishi teaching a crowned king, with stylized measuring vessels (kuḍava, āḍhaka) and a small balance scale in the foreground; ornate gold-leaf haloing the sage, rich maroon and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on the king; in the upper corner a subtle Vishnu śaṅkha-cakra motif rendered in gold relief, South Indian iconographic symmetry, intricate floral borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate rishi and king seated on a low carpet in a forest hermitage veranda; fine linework showing palm-leaf manuscripts and tiny measuring cups; cool muted greens and stone greys, lyrical trees and a thin ribbon of river in the distance; refined faces, gentle gestures of instruction, airy negative space.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, natural pigment blocks; rishi with ochre skin tone and large expressive eyes instructing a king; foreground shows stylized vessels labeled by form; background includes a faint Vishnu emblem (conch and discus) within a circular mandala; dominant reds, yellows, greens with temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional backdrop with lotus and tulasi-like floral borders framing a didactic scene—sage and king seated beneath a stylized canopy; deep indigo ground with gold detailing; incorporate subtle Vaishnava symbols (śaṅkha, cakra) and miniature lotuses; intricate border work, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation though the scene is instructional rather than pastoral."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","page-turning of palm leaves","low drone (tanpura)","distant flowing water","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कफस्यार्धाढकं→कफस्य अर्धाढकम्; वसायाश्च→वसायाः च; पंच→पञ्च (अनुस्वार-लोप/लेखनभेद); तदर्धं→तदर्धम् (म्-आगम/लेखनभेद)।
FAQs
It gives traditional quantitative measures for bodily substances—pitta (bile), kapha (phlegm), and vasā (fat)—using classical Indian units like kuḍava, āḍhaka, and pala.
They are classical Indian units: kuḍava and āḍhaka are measures of volume, while pala is a measure of weight, commonly used in medical, culinary, and ritual contexts.
Not directly; it is primarily technical, reflecting the Purana’s encyclopedic style that also preserves practical knowledge such as measurements and physiological categories.