Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 48

Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation

Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment

Devanagari script

स्थावरेषु च सर्वेषु जंगमेषु तथा भवान् । योनिद्वारेण पापेन मायामोहमयेन वै

Transliteration

sthāvareṣu ca sarveṣu jaṃgameṣu tathā bhavān | yonidvāreṇa pāpena māyāmohamayena vai

Translation

स्थावरेषु च सर्वेषु जङ्गमेषु तथैव च । भवान् वर्तते योनिद्वारेण पापेन मायामोहमयेन वै ॥

Word by Word

• sthāvareṣu: among immovables (plants etc.)
• sthāvareṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• sarveṣu: in all
• sarveṣu: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• jaṃgameṣu: among movables (animals etc.)
• jaṃgameṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• tathā: so, likewise
• tathā: Upamana/Comparison adjunct
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• bhavān: you (honorific)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थे सर्वनाम-प्रयोग

• yoni-dvāreṇa: through the doorway of the womb (birth-channel)
• yoni-dvāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoni (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'योनेः द्वारेण'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• pāpena: sinful, impure
• pāpena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• māyā-moha-mayena: made of illusion and delusion
• māyā-moha-mayena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + moha (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धितार्थ)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (बहु-तत्पुरुष: 'मायामोहयोः मयः' = consisting of illusion-delusion); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• vai: indeed, surely
• vai: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle), अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified (context required to confirm the dialogue speaker in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 8)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: योनिद्वारेण → yoni-dvāreṇa (समास); मायामोहमयेन → māyā-moha-mayena (समास)

FAQs

What is meant by “sthāvara” and “jaṅgama” in this verse?

“Sthāvara” refers to immobile life-forms (like trees and plants), while “jaṅgama” refers to moving beings (animals, humans). The verse frames existence across both categories.

What does “yonidvāra” (the gate of the womb) imply philosophically?

It points to embodied rebirth—entering worldly existence through birth—highlighting saṃsāra as a repeated passage into conditioned life.

What ethical or spiritual lesson is suggested by “māyā-moha” here?

It warns that delusion (moha) powered by māyā can drive beings into harmful, sinful patterns, reinforcing the need for discernment, restraint, and liberating knowledge or devotion.