Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 141
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
न परं प्रार्थयेद्भूयस्तृष्णालाघवकारणम् । आदौ दुःखं तथा मध्ये दुःखमंते च दारुणम्
na paraṃ prārthayedbhūyastṛṣṇālāghavakāraṇam | ādau duḥkhaṃ tathā madhye duḥkhamaṃte ca dāruṇam
อย่าร่ำร้องขอเพิ่มอีกเพียงเพื่อบรรเทาความกระหายอยาก เพราะมันก่อทุกข์ในเบื้องต้น ทุกข์ในท่ามกลาง และทุกข์อันน่าสะพรึงในบั้นปลาย
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Do not repeatedly beg for ‘more’ to soothe craving; craving’s strategy produces suffering at every stage—beginning, middle, and end—so adopt restraint and higher aims.
Application: Set limits: reduce impulsive requests, practice contentment (santoṣa), schedule regular fasting/abstinence days, and redirect longing into prayer and service.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A seeker stands at a crossroads: one path lined with glittering objects and grasping hands, the other leading to a quiet shrine where a lamp burns steadily. The seeker turns away from the clamoring crowd of petitioners, choosing restraint; the scene subtly shows suffering at three stages—first a hopeful reach, then anxious bargaining, finally exhaustion and collapse—fading like a triptych behind him.","primary_figures":["seeker","crowd of petitioners (symbolic)","quiet shrine attendant (optional)"],"setting":"crossroads near a small Viṣṇu shrine with a lamp and a simple offering plate; the ‘worldly path’ rendered as a bustling market-like lane","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","silver white","lamp-gold","dusty rose","dark teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical crossroads with a central seeker; gold leaf on the shrine lamp and halo-like aura around the path of restraint; ornate border with lotus motifs, rich reds and greens for the worldly lane, calmer blues for the devotional lane, traditional iconography hints (conch/disc) on shrine arch.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical landscape with two diverging paths; delicate figures showing the three-phase suffering as small vignettes along the worldly path; cool moonlit palette, refined facial features, gentle hills and trees framing the quiet shrine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic panels—three registers showing beginning/middle/end suffering from begging; the seeker moving toward a stylized shrine; strong reds/yellows/greens contrasted with deep blues, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central shrine with lotus border; the seeker turning toward devotion; the worldly craving depicted as ornate but chaotic floral tangles on one side; deep blue ground with gold vines, peacocks and lotuses framing the calm path, subtle Vaishnava emblems in the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft conch in distance","temple bells","night breeze","gentle tanpura drone","brief contemplative silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रार्थयेद्भूयः = प्रार्थयेत् + भूयः; भूयस्तृष्णा- = भूयः + तृष्णा-; दुःखमंते = दुःखम् + अन्ते.
FAQs
It warns that repeatedly seeking “more” to soothe craving only perpetuates a cycle of suffering—initially, during the pursuit, and ultimately in its consequences—so restraint and contentment are advised.
It frames craving (tṛṣṇā) as inherently self-defeating: attempts to reduce it by acquiring more intensify bondage and sorrow, supporting the ideal of detachment and contentment.
No. The target is compulsive, repeated asking driven by craving—seeking more as a way to pacify desire—rather than sincere, dharmic prayer or necessary requests.