Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 37
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
सारथिं मातलिं नाम विमानेन समन्वितम् । गतो हि मातलिस्तत्र यत्रास्ते नहुषात्मजः
sārathiṃ mātaliṃ nāma vimānena samanvitam | gato hi mātalistatra yatrāste nahuṣātmajaḥ
Ang kutsero na nagngangalang Mātali, na may kasamang panghimpapawid na sasakyang makalangit, ay nagtungo roon—sa pook na kinaroroonan ng anak ni Nahusha.
Narrator (within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue framework, traditionally Pulastya addressing Bhīṣma)
Concept: When destiny ripens, the summons arrives—often through intermediaries; readiness and humility before higher order determine how one receives elevation.
Application: Be prepared for ‘calls’—opportunities, responsibilities, spiritual invitations; respond with steadiness rather than intoxication by honor.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mātali descends in a gleaming aerial car, reins in hand, his posture confident and service-oriented—half warrior, half devotee of duty. Below, an earthly palace or hermitage compound awaits, with startled guards and sages looking up as the sky opens like a curtain between realms.","primary_figures":["Mātali (celestial charioteer)","Nahūṣa’s son (the king/prince)","palace guards","resident sages"],"setting":"edge of an earthly royal compound with trees and banners; above it, layered clouds part to reveal the descending vimāna","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","cloud white","burnished gold","leaf green","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Mātali in ornate attire holding reins, standing in a gold-leaf-embellished vimāna; below, the king’s residence with attendants looking up; embossed halos, gem-like highlights, rich reds/greens, lotus motifs on the chariot panels, dramatic vertical composition linking heaven and earth.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a graceful descent scene with delicate clouds and a hillside/terrace palace; Mātali rendered with refined features, the vimāna lightly ornamented; cool blues and greens, lyrical trees, subtle expressions of awe among onlookers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Mātali with bold outlines and stylized eyes, the vimāna patterned with geometric panels; earth below simplified into rhythmic forms—trees, palace, figures; strong red-yellow-green palette with blue accents, temple-wall grandeur.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a vertical narrative panel—upper register shows Mātali’s vimāna amid lotus-cloud motifs, lower register shows the king’s abode; intricate floral borders, deep blue sky with gold detailing, peacocks and lotuses framing the descent."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["whoosh of wind","chariot bells","birds startled from trees","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्रास्ते = यत्र + आस्ते (स्वर-सन्धिः); नहुषात्मजः = नहुष + आत्मजः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष).
FAQs
Mātali is the famed charioteer associated with Indra, often depicted as a divine envoy or driver who travels swiftly—here described as traveling with a vimāna.
A vimāna is a celestial aerial vehicle or divine conveyance; the verse uses it to emphasize Mātali’s divine mobility and authority.
Using a patronymic (nahuṣātmajaḥ) is a common Sanskrit style that anchors the character in a known lineage and narrative cycle, even when the immediate focus is the action (Mātali going to him).