Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 136
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
चिंतयानः स्ववित्तानि कस्यैतानि मृते मयि । यमदूतैर्नीयमानः कालपाशेन कर्षितः
ciṃtayānaḥ svavittāni kasyaitāni mṛte mayi | yamadūtairnīyamānaḥ kālapāśena karṣitaḥ
เขาครุ่นคิดว่า “เมื่อเราตายแล้ว ทรัพย์สมบัตินี้จะเป็นของผู้ใด?” แล้วถูกยมทูตพาไป ถูกบ่วงแห่งกาลเวลาลากฉุด
Narratorial/teaching voice (context not provided to identify a named speaker)
Concept: Clinging to wealth at death is futile; Kāla’s noose pulls all—only dharma and devotion accompany the jīva.
Application: Practice non-possessiveness; make purposeful giving; keep Ekādaśī and daily nāma so the mind turns to Hari rather than property at the end.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A terrified householder, still clutching a pouch of coins in thought, is seized by stern Yamadūtas who pull him forward with a dark, rope-like noose that seems woven from time itself. In the sky behind them, a vast wheel of Kāla turns, while far away a faint, serene glow hints at the alternative refuge of divine remembrance.","primary_figures":["Yamadūtas","a departing jīva/householder","Kāla (as wheel/noose motif)","Yama (implied presence)"],"setting":"Threshold between a human dwelling and a shadowy otherworldly path leading toward Yamaloka; swirling clouds and a dim road.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance contrasted with shadow","color_palette":["storm violet","iron black","smoldering red","pale ash","faint gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic procession—Yamadūtas dragging a householder with a time-noose; Kāla’s wheel in the background; gold leaf highlights on the wheel and border, rich crimson and emerald accents, traditional iconographic severity with ornate framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: otherworldly path under brooding skies; slender Yamadūtas with expressive faces; the noose rendered as a flowing dark ribbon; cool purples and grays with a distant golden glow suggesting liberation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; Yamadūtas in stylized fierce forms; the pāśa as a thick black curve; Kāla-cakra motif above; red-yellow-green palette with deep black for the noose and shadows.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical scene framed by lotus and conch motifs; central dragging action stylized; deep indigo ground with gold floral borders; a small luminous Viṣṇu-symbol (conch/lotus) in the corner as the hinted refuge beyond Yama."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (distant)","heavy drum pulse (suggested)","wind roar","chain/rope creak (suggested)","sudden silence at the end"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svavittāni → sva + vittāni; kasyaitāni → kasya + etāni; yamadūtairnīyamānaḥ → yama + dūtaiḥ + nīyamānaḥ; kālapāśena → kāla + pāśena
FAQs
It portrays a person fixated on their possessions—worrying who will inherit them—while death arrives regardless, showing that wealth cannot be held onto and anxiety over it is futile.
Yamadūtas are the attendants/messengers of Yama, associated in Purāṇic literature with escorting the departed toward judgment and the consequences of karma.
Time (Kāla) is depicted as an inescapable force that pulls all beings toward death; the verse urges ethical living and detachment rather than postponing spiritual priorities for material accumulation.