Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 29
The Tale of Kāmodā and Vihuṇḍa: Tear-Born Lotuses on the Gaṅgā and the Ethics of Worship
नेत्राभ्यां तस्य दुष्टस्य बिंदवस्तेऽश्रुसंभवाः । अविरलास्ततो वत्स पतंति लिंगमस्तके
netrābhyāṃ tasya duṣṭasya biṃdavaste'śrusaṃbhavāḥ | aviralāstato vatsa pataṃti liṃgamastake
اے عزیز، اُس بدخصلت آدمی کی آنکھوں سے آنسوؤں کے قطرے بےوقفہ جنم لے کر لِنگ کے سر پر گرتے رہتے ہیں۔
Uncertain from single-verse context (likely a narrator addressing a listener as 'vatsa')
Concept: Not all ‘wet offerings’ are purifying—tears born from adharma and greed can be spiritually contaminating when they arise from impure bhāva.
Application: When remorse arises, convert it into corrective action—confession, restitution, and a vow to stop the harmful behavior—rather than using emotion as a substitute for change.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Close-up of a stone liṅga crowned with a faint sheen of oil-lamp light as tear-drops fall in an unbroken chain, splashing and darkening the surface. The man’s face is shown in profile—eyes red, brows knotted—while the sanctum’s calm geometry contrasts with his inner turbulence.","primary_figures":["a weeping offender","Śiva-liṅga"],"setting":"Sanctum interior with a liṅga on a yoni-pīṭha, small lamps, bilva leaves, and a partially disturbed offering tray.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["basalt black","silver-gray highlights","lamp-gold","rust red","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic close framing of the liṅga with gold-leaf accents on the sanctum arch, stylized tear-drops rendered like pearls falling onto dark stone; the man’s anguished face in rich tones, ornate lamps and carved pillars.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate, lyrical close-up with delicate droplets, soft shading on the stone, the man’s expression refined and poignant; muted palette with a gentle lamp glow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines emphasizing the tear-stream, stylized liṅga and lamp motifs, expressive eyes and strong facial lines; earthy pigments and temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical shrine composition with decorative borders; tear-drops depicted as repeating motifs falling onto the liṅga, deep blue-black ground with gold highlights, floral patterns subdued to keep focus on the moral drama."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["dripping water","soft bell resonance","incense hiss","breath tremor","deep silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ते + अश्रुसंभवाः→तेऽश्रुसंभवाः (एऽ); अविरलाः + ततः→अविरलास्ततः (आ+त); लिङ्ग + मस्तके→लिङ्गमस्तके
FAQs
It depicts continuous tear-drops falling from a wicked man’s eyes onto the top of a Śiva-liṅga, emphasizing an intense emotional state—often read as remorse or fear—within a devotional or moral narrative.
The verse implies that wrongdoing leads to a powerful inner reaction; tears may signal awakening conscience, repentance, or the beginnings of transformation when directed toward a sacred focus (here, the liṅga).
Purāṇas frequently portray even flawed individuals being turned toward the sacred through intense experience; the liṅga here functions as the ritual and symbolic center upon which the person’s emotion (tears) is poured.