Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 21
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
सर्वे कर्मविपाकेन जीवंति च म्रियंति च । ओषध्यो मंत्रदेवाश्च निमित्ताः स्युर्न संशयः
sarve karmavipākena jīvaṃti ca mriyaṃti ca | oṣadhyo maṃtradevāśca nimittāḥ syurna saṃśayaḥ
تمام جاندار اپنے کرموں کے پکنے کے نتیجے میں جیتے اور مرتے ہیں؛ ادویات، منتر اور دیوتا محض ذریعہ ہیں، اس میں کوئی شک نہیں ہے۔
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the input excerpt; commonly framed within the Bhīṣma–Pulastya dialogue in this section).
Concept: Karma-vipāka is the decisive cause of living and dying; medicines, mantras, and even invoked deities function as nimitta (instrumental) causes within that karmic unfolding.
Application: Use medicine and prayer responsibly, but cultivate inner causes: ethical living, repentance, devotion; accept outcomes with equanimity while continuing right effort.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A triptych-like composition: on one side a physician offers herbs, on the other a priest chants mantras before a fire, and in the center a devotee stands before a deity—yet above all, a subtle wheel labeled ‘karma-vipāka’ turns, indicating the hidden determinant. The mood is not cynical but clarifying: instruments serve, the deeper law decides.","primary_figures":["physician with herbs","priest chanting mantras","devotee before deity","symbolic karma wheel"],"setting":"temple courtyard blending a small clinic corner, a yajña-kunda, and a shrine niche","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","sacred ash-gray","flame orange","peacock blue","brass-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central karma wheel motif above three vignettes—medicine, mantra, deity worship; gold leaf highlighting the wheel and shrine, rich vermilion and emerald garments, ornate pillars, gem-like detailing on ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined courtyard scene with three groups, delicate flames and incense curls; soft dawn sky, cool blues and warm ochres balanced, subtle symbolic wheel in the sky like a faint mandala.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold segmented panel—vaidya with herbs, hotṛ with mantra, devotee at shrine; a stylized mandala-wheel overhead, strong outlines, traditional pigment palette, solemn didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: mandala-like karma wheel as floral rosette at center, surrounding vignettes framed by lotus borders; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, intricate patterns on vessels and altar cloths."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["yajna fire crackle","soft mantra undertone","temple bell","measured silence after ‘na saṁśayaḥ’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्युर्न = स्युः + न; मंत्रदेवाश्च = मन्त्रदेवाः + च.
FAQs
No. It classifies them as nimitta (instrumental/secondary causes). The decisive factor is karma’s fruition, while remedies operate as supportive means within that karmic framework.
A distinction between the primary determining cause (karmavipāka, the ripened result of past actions) and instrumental causes (oṣadhi, mantra, deva) that assist or channel outcomes.
It emphasizes personal responsibility: since life outcomes follow karma, one should cultivate dharmic actions while also using appropriate supports (healing, prayer, worship) without mistaking them for the ultimate determinant.