Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 142
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
निसर्गात्सर्वभूतानामिति दुःख परंपरा । वर्तमानान्यतीतानि दुःखान्येतानि यानि तु
nisargātsarvabhūtānāmiti duḥkha paraṃparā | vartamānānyatītāni duḥkhānyetāni yāni tu
تمام جانداروں کی فطرتِ وجود ہی سے غم کی ایک نہ ٹوٹنے والی لڑی اٹھتی ہے؛ یہ دکھ، خواہ موجودہ ہوں یا گزر چکے ہوں، یہی ہیں۔
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 66)
Concept: Samsara is intrinsically marked by recurring duhkha; recognizing this is the first step toward seeking a higher refuge.
Application: Use the recognition of recurring dissatisfaction to redirect effort toward steady sadhana (nama-japa, seva, vrata discipline) rather than chasing transient relief.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contemplative sage sits beside a still river at twilight, watching a procession of beings—kings, merchants, ascetics, animals—moving in a circular path like a wheel, each carrying a faint shadow labeled ‘past’ and ‘present’ sorrow. Above them, a distant, serene Vishnu-form appears in the sky as a quiet promise of refuge, while lotus petals drift on the water like moments passing.","primary_figures":["a reflective rishi","symbolic procession of beings","Vishnu (distant, compassionate presence)"],"setting":"riverbank with a banyan tree, a small hermitage, and a wide sky suggesting the cosmic cycle","lighting_mood":"moonlit with soft divine radiance","color_palette":["indigo night","ash gray","lotus pink","soft gold","river-silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated rishi under a stylized banyan by a silver river, a circular samsara-wheel of miniature figures around him, and a small Vishnu in the upper panel with gold leaf halo; rich maroon and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on Vishnu, ornate floral motifs, heavy gold leaf embellishment emphasizing the contrast between duhkha and divine refuge.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: twilight riverbank with delicate brushwork, a contemplative sage in simple ochre cloth, a lyrical procession of tiny figures forming a subtle wheel-path, distant Vishnu in pale gold-blue clouds; cool palette, refined faces, gentle Himalayan-like hills, poetic naturalism and quiet melancholy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, the rishi in earthy reds and yellows, stylized river and banyan, a circular band of beings indicating duhkha-parampara, Vishnu above with characteristic large eyes and green-blue complexion; temple-wall aesthetic, natural pigments, strong symmetry and iconographic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus pond with drifting petals symbolizing passing sorrows, border of repeating lotus and vine motifs, a small Vishnu-shrine silhouette at the top, miniature figures circling like a garland; deep blues and gold, intricate floral borders, devotional atmosphere even within the theme of samsaric duhkha."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence","soft tanpura drone","distant temple bell","night insects","gentle flowing water"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निसर्गात्सर्वभूतानाम् = निसर्गात् + सर्वभूतानाम्; दुःख परंपरा = दुःख-परंपरा (समास/पदविभागः).
FAQs
It highlights saṃsāra as a natural condition marked by an ongoing chain of suffering for embodied beings, spanning past and present.
It presents suffering as arising from the inherent condition (nisarga) of worldly embodied life; liberation traditions interpret this as a reason to seek mokṣa rather than accept suffering as the final truth.
It works as a thematic anchor for discussions on the nature of worldly existence, motivating inquiry into ethical conduct, detachment, devotion, and liberation taught elsewhere in the Purana.