Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 26
The Bestowal of Boons upon Aṅga
समालोक्य जगन्नाथश्चक्रपाणिर्द्विजोत्तमम् । बहुविघ्नान्सुघोरांश्च दर्शयत्येव नित्यशः
samālokya jagannāthaścakrapāṇirdvijottamam | bahuvighnānsughorāṃśca darśayatyeva nityaśaḥ
جگن ناتھ، چکر دھاری پروردگار نے دْوِجوں میں افضل کو دیکھ کر، واقعی ہر روز بہت سے نہایت ہولناک رکاوٹیں اس کے سامنے ظاہر کر دیں۔
Narrator (context not supplied; verse describes Jagannātha/Viṣṇu’s action toward a brāhmaṇa)
Concept: The Lord may reveal obstacles as a compassionate test, refining the devotee’s resolve and purifying intention.
Application: When difficulties arise during spiritual practice, interpret them as opportunities to deepen surrender and steadiness rather than as signs to quit.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Jagannātha, dark-blue and radiant, stands slightly apart in the sky with cakra poised, watching a meditating brāhmaṇa below. Around the sage, spectral vighnas arise—howling winds, illusory beasts, and shadowy temptations—yet the Lord’s gaze suggests these terrors are controlled, measured, and ultimately protective.","primary_figures":["Jagannātha/Viṣṇu (Cakrapāṇi)","brāhmaṇa-tapasvī","personified vighnas (illusory demons, storms, temptations)"],"setting":"A wilderness meditation spot that can morph with illusion—trees bending, ground cracking, sudden darkness—signaling māyā’s theatre.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance cutting through ominous storm-light","color_palette":["midnight blue","chakra gold","storm violet","smoke gray","ember orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu/Jagannātha in upper register with gold-leaf aura and prominent cakra, below a seated sage; surrounding vighnas rendered as stylized fierce forms; rich reds/greens with heavy gold ornamentation, temple-arch framing, gem-like highlights on the cakra.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: airy composition with Viṣṇu in the sky, delicate clouds, and a calm sage; vighnas as translucent, painterly apparitions—tigers, serpents, dark winds—set against a Himalayan-like landscape; refined expressions showing fear around but peace within.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Viṣṇu with large expressive eyes and cakra, vighnas as dramatic stylized figures in the margins, strong red/yellow/green palette with dark storm band, mural-like symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central devotee-sage with a hovering Viṣṇu emblem (cakra) above; vighnas arranged as decorative yet ominous motifs around the border; lotus and conch patterns interwoven, deep blue background with gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell swell","low thunder","temple bells","wind gusts"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जगन्नाथश् + चक्रपाणिः → जगन्नाथश्चक्रपाणिः; चक्रपाणिः + द्विजोत्तमम् (पदसन्धिः); बहुविघ्नान् + सुघोरान् + च → बहुविघ्नान्सुघोरांश्च; दर्शयति + एव → दर्शयत्येव
FAQs
The verse portrays a motif common in Purāṇic literature: the Lord may reveal or permit impediments as a test, a lesson, or a means to strengthen steadfastness in dharma and devotion.
It states that the Lord ‘reveals’ (darśayati) obstacles; traditional readings often take this as disclosure or allowance within karmic order, rather than arbitrary cruelty—framing adversity as spiritually instructive.
That challenges may recur repeatedly; the implied ethic is perseverance—maintaining right conduct and devotion even when impediments appear again and again.