Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 62
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
प्रस्वेदमशुचिं ताभिरंतरस्थं च तेन हि । द्वात्रिंशद्दशनाः प्रोक्ता विंशतिश्च नखाः स्मृताः
prasvedamaśuciṃ tābhiraṃtarasthaṃ ca tena hi | dvātriṃśaddaśanāḥ proktā viṃśatiśca nakhāḥ smṛtāḥ
O suor é impuro, e impuro também é o que permanece dentro (do corpo) por causa dele. Por isso se afirma que há trinta e dois dentes, e se recorda que há vinte unhas.
Unspecified (narrative/teaching voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 66)
Concept: Recognize bodily impurity and impermanence; let this knowledge support purity of conduct and a turn toward spiritual practice.
Application: Maintain cleanliness and moderation, but avoid obsession with bodily perfection; invest effort in inner purity—truthfulness, compassion, and daily worship.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet ashram scene at dusk: a sage enumerates bodily facts on a palm-leaf manuscript while a disciple listens, the human form shown faintly as a silhouette with highlighted teeth and nails like small ivory markers. Wisps of vapor symbolize sweat rising and dissolving, while a small altar lamp before a Viṣṇu image suggests the higher purity beyond the body.","primary_figures":["Sage-teacher","Disciple-listener","Viṣṇu (small altar icon)"],"setting":"Ashram interior with palm-leaf manuscripts, water pot, and a simple Viṣṇu shrine; symbolic silhouette diagram hovering near the teaching space.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit, contemplative dusk","color_palette":["warm amber","coconut brown","ivory","deep blue","soft saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage and disciple seated near a small Viṣṇu altar with gold leaf halo; a subtle silhouette diagram showing teeth and nails as ivory accents; rich maroon-green borders, embossed gold on the lamp flame and divine icon, devotional calm with didactic clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dusk teaching scene with delicate lines; disciple attentive, sage holding palm-leaf; faint silhouette with tiny ivory teeth/nail markers; cool blue dusk wash, warm lamp glow, refined facial expressions and gentle naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized sage-disciple composition with bold outlines; lamp-lit shrine of Viṣṇu; symbolic sweat as curling motifs; teeth and nails indicated with clear ivory shapes; red-yellow-green palette with deep blue background, temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional teaching vignette framed by lotus and floral borders; central lamp before Viṣṇu icon; decorative silhouette motif with ivory teeth/nails; deep blue ground with gold and saffron highlights, intricate Nathdwara ornamentation emphasizing inner purity through devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["evening temple bell","crickets","soft conch (closing)","water pot pour (faint)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रस्वेदमशुचिं→प्रस्वेदम् अशुचिम्; ताभिरंतरस्थं→ताभिः अन्तरस्थम्; द्वात्रिंशद्दशनाः→द्वात्रिंशत् दशनाः (त् + द); विंशतिश्च→विंशतिः च।
FAQs
It reflects a dharma-text notion of bodily substances (like sweat and internal excretions) as aśuci (ritually impure), often used to frame rules of cleanliness and conduct.
The verse includes a traditional anatomical enumeration: 32 teeth and 20 nails (fingers and toes), likely supporting a broader discussion about the body’s material nature and ritual purity.
Indirectly: it encourages awareness of bodily impurity and the need for cleanliness and discipline, commonly connected with ethical self-restraint and ritual propriety in dharma traditions.