Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 101
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
समे पथि शनैर्गच्छन्स्खलतीव पदेपदे । सत्यां बुद्धौ न जानाति बोध्यमानो बुधैरपि
same pathi śanairgacchanskhalatīva padepade | satyāṃ buddhau na jānāti bodhyamāno budhairapi
ہموار راہ پر آہستہ آہستہ چلتے ہوئے بھی وہ گویا ہر قدم پر ٹھوکر کھاتا ہے؛ جسے وہ ‘سچ’ سمجھتا ہے اسی میں اس کی عقل جم جاتی ہے، اور داناؤں کے سمجھانے پر بھی نہیں سمجھتا۔
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 66; commonly framed within the Bhīṣma–Pulastya dialogue in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: False certainty (‘my buddhi is true’) combined with delusion causes repeated stumbling; even wise instruction fails when ego-hardening blocks receptivity.
Application: Practice intellectual humility: verify convictions against śāstra and the counsel of the wise; when you keep repeating the same mistake, treat it as a sign of moha and seek corrective sādhana.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a perfectly smooth stone road leading to a bright temple, a traveler inexplicably stumbles at every step as if unseen knots snag his feet. Beside the road, calm sages gesture with open palms, offering guidance; yet a rigid, glass-like ‘truth’ mask covers the traveler’s face, reflecting only his own certainty.","primary_figures":["a stumbling traveler (jīva)","two or three sages (budhas)","symbolic mask of false certainty","distant temple of Viṣṇu"],"setting":"A level pilgrimage road with milestone stones and a visible temple spire ahead; sages seated under a banyan tree at roadside.","lighting_mood":"clear daylight with subtle moral tension","color_palette":["stone gray","banyan green","sunlit gold","sky cyan","cloth ochre"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a straight stone pilgrimage road to a gold-leaf radiant Viṣṇu temple, a traveler stumbling repeatedly, sages under a banyan tree offering instruction, a reflective mask of false certainty on the traveler’s face, ornate borders, rich reds/greens, gold leaf on temple and halo accents.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene landscape with a smooth path, delicate depiction of stumbling motion, sages with refined faces and gentle gestures, distant temple on a hill, cool natural palette with warm highlights, lyrical clarity and moral symbolism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of the traveler mid-stumble, sages in seated teaching posture, stylized banyan leaves, temple spire glowing in yellow-red, mask motif rendered as a patterned reflective surface, symmetrical temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central straight path bordered by floral motifs, repeated footprints showing stumbling rhythm, sages framed by ornate vines, distant Viṣṇu shrine as a small radiant medallion, intricate borders in indigo and gold, lotus motifs guiding the eye forward."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["footsteps on stone","rustling banyan leaves","soft bell from afar","gentle murmurs of sages"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गच्छन्स्खलतीव = गच्छन् + स्खलति + इव; पदेपदे = पदे + पदे; बुधैरपि = बुधैः + अपि (विसर्गलोपः)
FAQs
It portrays a person who stumbles even on a smooth road, symbolizing inner confusion or moral/intellectual imbalance despite outwardly favorable conditions.
Because his intellect is rigidly fixed in a presumed ‘truth’ (a mistaken certainty), making him resistant to correction and genuine insight.
Humility and openness to guidance are essential; stubborn attachment to one’s own view can block learning, clarity, and right conduct.