Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 141
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
न परं प्रार्थयेद्भूयस्तृष्णालाघवकारणम् । आदौ दुःखं तथा मध्ये दुःखमंते च दारुणम्
na paraṃ prārthayedbhūyastṛṣṇālāghavakāraṇam | ādau duḥkhaṃ tathā madhye duḥkhamaṃte ca dāruṇam
محض اپنی حرص کو ہلکا کرنے کے لیے بار بار مزید نہ مانگو؛ کیونکہ یہ ابتدا میں بھی دکھ، درمیان میں بھی دکھ، اور انجام میں ہولناک دکھ لاتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Do not repeatedly beg for ‘more’ to soothe craving; craving’s strategy produces suffering at every stage—beginning, middle, and end—so adopt restraint and higher aims.
Application: Set limits: reduce impulsive requests, practice contentment (santoṣa), schedule regular fasting/abstinence days, and redirect longing into prayer and service.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A seeker stands at a crossroads: one path lined with glittering objects and grasping hands, the other leading to a quiet shrine where a lamp burns steadily. The seeker turns away from the clamoring crowd of petitioners, choosing restraint; the scene subtly shows suffering at three stages—first a hopeful reach, then anxious bargaining, finally exhaustion and collapse—fading like a triptych behind him.","primary_figures":["seeker","crowd of petitioners (symbolic)","quiet shrine attendant (optional)"],"setting":"crossroads near a small Viṣṇu shrine with a lamp and a simple offering plate; the ‘worldly path’ rendered as a bustling market-like lane","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","silver white","lamp-gold","dusty rose","dark teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical crossroads with a central seeker; gold leaf on the shrine lamp and halo-like aura around the path of restraint; ornate border with lotus motifs, rich reds and greens for the worldly lane, calmer blues for the devotional lane, traditional iconography hints (conch/disc) on shrine arch.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical landscape with two diverging paths; delicate figures showing the three-phase suffering as small vignettes along the worldly path; cool moonlit palette, refined facial features, gentle hills and trees framing the quiet shrine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic panels—three registers showing beginning/middle/end suffering from begging; the seeker moving toward a stylized shrine; strong reds/yellows/greens contrasted with deep blues, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central shrine with lotus border; the seeker turning toward devotion; the worldly craving depicted as ornate but chaotic floral tangles on one side; deep blue ground with gold vines, peacocks and lotuses framing the calm path, subtle Vaishnava emblems in the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft conch in distance","temple bells","night breeze","gentle tanpura drone","brief contemplative silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रार्थयेद्भूयः = प्रार्थयेत् + भूयः; भूयस्तृष्णा- = भूयः + तृष्णा-; दुःखमंते = दुःखम् + अन्ते.
FAQs
It warns that repeatedly seeking “more” to soothe craving only perpetuates a cycle of suffering—initially, during the pursuit, and ultimately in its consequences—so restraint and contentment are advised.
It frames craving (tṛṣṇā) as inherently self-defeating: attempts to reduce it by acquiring more intensify bondage and sorrow, supporting the ideal of detachment and contentment.
No. The target is compulsive, repeated asking driven by craving—seeking more as a way to pacify desire—rather than sincere, dharmic prayer or necessary requests.