Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 188
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
सुखाभिलाषनिष्ठानां सुखभोगादि संप्लवैः । अकस्मात्पतितं दुःखं कष्टं स्वर्गेदिवौकसाम्
sukhābhilāṣaniṣṭhānāṃ sukhabhogādi saṃplavaiḥ | akasmātpatitaṃ duḥkhaṃ kaṣṭaṃ svargedivaukasām
สำหรับผู้ยึดมั่นในความใคร่สุข ท่ามกลางกระแสหลากแห่งความเพลิดเพลินและการเสวยสุข ความทุกข์ที่ตกลงมาโดยฉับพลันย่อมแสนสาหัส—แม้แก่ชาวสวรรค์ก็ตาม
Unspecified (context not provided for this isolated verse; commonly a narrator/sage voice within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa discourse).
Concept: Pleasure-seeking (sukhābhilāṣa) makes suffering more acute; attachment turns even heaven into a setup for sharper grief.
Application: Practice moderation and mindful enjoyment; cultivate gratitude without clinging; anchor happiness in sādhana (nāma, pūjā) rather than sensory floods.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A celestial garden overflows with jeweled fountains, fragrant blossoms, and apsarās dancing amid a ‘flood’ of delights—yet a shadow suddenly crosses the scene. One deva, intoxicated by pleasure, recoils as a dark wave of sorrow rises unexpectedly, cracking the illusion of permanence.","primary_figures":["divaukasaḥ (heavenly dwellers)","apsarās (as symbolic attendants of bhoga)","personified Duḥkha as a sudden dark cloud"],"setting":"Nandana-like celestial grove with crystal pavilions, garlanded arches, and overflowing pleasure imagery.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance interrupted by a sudden eclipse-like dimming","color_palette":["pearl white","lotus pink","emerald green","sapphire blue","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent Svarga garden with gold-leaf pavilions, apsarās in rich silks, devas adorned with gem-studded crowns; a dramatic dark cloud of Duḥkha intrudes from one side, contrasting luminous gold with deep violet shadow, ornate border and symmetrical composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate celestial grove with refined figures enjoying music and garlands; a subtle but striking shift as a cool shadow falls and one figure shows sudden anguish; soft gradients, lyrical trees, fine textiles, distant pale mountains in the sky-realm.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized devas and apsarās in a patterned garden, bold outlines; a dark, swirling Duḥkha form enters as a contrasting pigment field; expressive eyes, rhythmic ornamentation, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: luxuriant floral borders and lotus motifs framing a celestial rasa-līlā-like enjoyment scene; then a symbolic dark veil of sorrow descends; deep blues and gold, intricate vines, decorative symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["celestial flute fading","sudden hush","soft thunder roll","anklet bells stopping abruptly"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अकस्मात्पतितम् = अकस्मात् + पतितम् (त् + प); स्वर्गेदिवौकसाम् = स्वर्गे + दिवौकसाम् (पद-सन्धि/संहिता).
FAQs
It teaches that attachment to pleasure makes suffering feel sharper; even heavenly enjoyment cannot prevent sudden sorrow, and the contrast makes it more painful.
To emphasize that even the most privileged states of enjoyment are unstable; sorrow can arise unexpectedly, and attachment heightens distress regardless of status.
Cultivate detachment and steadiness rather than fixation on enjoyment; otherwise, when conditions change, the mind experiences disproportionate anguish.