Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 28
The Tale of Kāmodā and Vihuṇḍa: Tear-Born Lotuses on the Gaṅgā and the Ethics of Worship
देव्या कृतां हि पूजां च सुपुष्पैः पारिजातजैः । तां निर्णाश्य सुलोभेन शोकजैः परिपूजयेत्
devyā kṛtāṃ hi pūjāṃ ca supuṣpaiḥ pārijātajaiḥ | tāṃ nirṇāśya sulobhena śokajaiḥ paripūjayet
Deve-se retirar o culto realizado para a Deusa com belas flores de pārijāta e, então, por cobiça, oferecer um culto substituto com flores nascidas da tristeza.
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Desecrating another’s worship and offering impure substitutes out of lobha (greed) is adharma; external beauty (flowers) cannot compensate for inner corruption.
Application: Do not compete in devotion by undermining others; never ‘replace’ sincerity with show. In shared sacred spaces, protect others’ offerings and cultivate non-envious reverence.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sanctum floor is strewn with luminous pārijāta blossoms from a completed Devī-pūjā, their fragrance almost visible as pale halos. A greedy figure stealthily sweeps them away and lays down dull, tear-wet, crumpled flowers—an act that visually ‘dims’ the shrine’s radiance.","primary_figures":["Devī’s altar (icon or yantra)","a greedy worshipper","temple lamp flames (as witnesses)"],"setting":"Inner temple mandapa with a Devī altar, offering plates, incense smoke, and a flower-strewn rangoli partially disturbed.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["parijāta white","vermillion red","turmeric yellow","charcoal black","smoldering amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Devī altar with gold-leaf arch and rich vermillion backdrop, pārijāta flowers rendered as pearl-white clusters, the offender in dark garments removing them; dramatic contrast, ornate lamps, embossed gold detailing emphasizing the violated sanctity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate temple interior with delicate incense curls, pale pārijāta blossoms like snow, the offender’s sly posture captured with refined facial expression; cool shadows and subtle moral tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Devī icon with bold outlines, rhythmic lamp motifs, the act of removing offerings shown in clear narrative panels; strong reds/yellows/greens with a darkened figure signaling adharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders and lotus patterns framing a shrine scene; pārijāta blossoms depicted as intricate white rosettes, replaced by dull, drooping flowers; deep blue ground with gold highlights to show the ‘loss’ of sacred brilliance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp temple bell strikes","hushed whispers","incense crackle","sudden silence","foot shuffles on stone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देव्या (देवी-तृतीया); सु+पुष्पैः→सुपुष्पैः; पारिजात+जैः→पारिजातजैः; निर्+नाश्य→निर्णाश्य (र्+न→र्ण); परि+पूजयेत्→परिपूजयेत्
FAQs
It contrasts pure worship (using auspicious pārijāta flowers) with a corrupted motive—greed—leading to a degraded or sorrow-born substitute offering, emphasizing that intention matters in pūjā.
Pārijāta is a famed celestial, auspicious tree; mentioning its flowers signals a high, pure standard of offering, making the later replacement appear spiritually inferior.
It warns against letting lobha (greed) distort devotion—removing or spoiling sincere worship and replacing it with actions rooted in śoka (sorrow) or harmful consequences.