Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 38
The Tale of Kāmodā and Vihuṇḍa: Tear-Born Lotuses on the Gaṅgā and the Ethics of Worship
क्व लब्धानि सुपुष्पाणि तस्या हास्योद्भवानि च । विहुंड उवाच । भावं ध्यानं न जानामि न दृष्टा सा मया कदा
kva labdhāni supuṣpāṇi tasyā hāsyodbhavāni ca | vihuṃḍa uvāca | bhāvaṃ dhyānaṃ na jānāmi na dṛṣṭā sā mayā kadā
“وہ خوبصورت پھول کہاں سے ملے، اور اس کی ہنسی سے پیدا ہونے والی وہ چیزیں کہاں سے آئیں؟” ویہُنڈ نے کہا: “میں نہ اس کا بھاؤ جانتا ہوں نہ دھیان؛ میں نے اسے کبھی نہیں دیکھا۔”
Vihuṇḍa (explicitly marked: 'vihuṇḍa uvāca')
Concept: One should admit the limits of one’s knowledge; unseen realities (bhāva, dhyāna) are not to be fabricated by speculation.
Application: When asked about matters beyond direct experience, respond with truthful humility; seek reliable testimony (śāstra, sādhus) rather than conjecture.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A messenger-like figure, Vihuṇḍa, stands with open palms in honest uncertainty while another asks about the origin of exquisite flowers and laughter-born marvels. The flowers appear suspended in the air like a garland of questions, half-real, half-vision, suggesting a mystery beyond ordinary sight.","primary_figures":["Vihuṇḍa","questioning interlocutor (unnamed)","floating ‘mystery flowers’ (symbolic)"],"setting":"a garden courtyard adjoining a shrine, with flowering vines and a small pavilion where the dialogue occurs","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["jasmine white","spring green","coral pink","sky blue","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vihuṇḍa in ornate attire with gold highlights, standing in a garden pavilion, hands in a gesture of truthful admission; stylized floating flowers rendered with gold-leaf accents, rich reds/greens, decorative arch with lotus motifs and gem-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate garden scene with fine floral detailing, Vihuṇḍa’s gentle expression of not-knowing, cool pastel palette, airy negative space where flowers float like a riddle, refined facial features and lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, expressive eyes, Vihuṇḍa’s palms open, patterned foliage, bright natural pigments, stylized blossoms hovering in a rhythmic arc, temple-wall composition symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border, central vignette of inquiry in a garden, lotus motifs and peacocks at corners, deep blue ground with gold and pink blossoms, narrative panels showing ‘laughter-born’ flowers as decorative bursts."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["birds","light breeze through leaves","soft mridangam pulse","gentle bell chime"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हास्योद्भवानि = हास्य + उद्भवानि (तत्पुरुष); ‘विहुंड उवाच’ is speaker tag; no major sandhi elsewhere.
FAQs
The speaker is Vihuṇḍa, indicated directly by the phrase “vihuṇḍa uvāca” (“Vihuṇḍa said”).
He denies knowledge: he does not know her inner disposition (bhāva) or meditation (dhyāna), and he states he has never seen her.
It models epistemic humility: when questioned about mysterious phenomena, the speaker admits the limits of his knowledge rather than speculating.