Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 154
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
जले च भक्ष्यते मत्स्यैस्तथा सर्वत्र वित्तवान् । विमोहयंति संपत्सु वारयंति विपत्सु च
jale ca bhakṣyate matsyaistathā sarvatra vittavān | vimohayaṃti saṃpatsu vārayaṃti vipatsu ca
پانی میں وہ مچھلیوں کا نوالہ بنتا ہے؛ اسی طرح دولت مند آدمی ہر جگہ پھنس جاتا ہے—خوش حالی میں فریبِ مال میں مبتلا، اور تنگی میں روک دیا جاتا ہے۔
Unknown (context not provided; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue typical of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Wealth entangles: prosperity deludes, adversity constrains; both conditions bind the mind.
Application: In good times, practice humility and generosity; in bad times, practice steadiness and remembrance—do not let either state dictate ethics or identity.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic river scene: a wealthy man, adorned with jewels, is shown as if submerged—fish nibbling at him—while golden nets labeled ‘sampat’ and ‘vipat’ alternately loosen and tighten around his limbs. On the bank, a devotee offers water to a tulasī plant beside a small Śālagrāma shrine, embodying steadiness beyond the river of circumstance.","primary_figures":["wealthy man (symbolic)","fish","a Vaiṣṇava devotee","tulasī plant","Śālagrāma/Viṣṇu icon"],"setting":"Riverbank with reeds and a small stone shrine; the midstream is rendered allegorically as a net of fortune.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["river jade","antique gold","pearl white","deep teal","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate riverbank allegory—central jeweled man entangled in gold nets, stylized fish around him; right side a devotee with ūrdhva-puṇḍra offering water to tulasī near a Śālagrāma pedestal; gold leaf highlights on nets and shrine, rich reds/greens, temple-like framing and decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle river with translucent washes; symbolic net patterns overlay the water; a jeweled figure appears troubled; on the bank, a devotee calmly performs tulasī-jala-dāna beside a small shrine; delicate brushwork, cool greens and blues, refined faces, lyrical reeds and birds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: flat, iconic river band with fish motifs; central figure bound by patterned nets; devotee and tulasī rendered with bold outlines; warm reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall symmetry, expressive eyes emphasizing moha vs steadiness.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative river motif with lotus and fish; central panel shows ‘sampat’ and ‘vipat’ as alternating garlands/nets; upper panel a small Viṣṇu shrine with tulasī and floral borders; deep blues, gold accents, intricate vines and lotuses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft mridang pulse","temple bell at cadence","birds near riverbank"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मत्स्यैस्तथा = मत्स्यैः + तथा; विमोहयंति = विमोहयन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद); संपत्सु = सम्पत्सु
FAQs
It warns that wealth can become a trap: prosperity breeds delusion and complacency, while adversity imposes constraints—so one should cultivate discernment and detachment rather than being driven by fortune.
It functions as a metaphor for vulnerability: just as a being in water can be preyed upon by fish, a wealthy person can be “consumed” by worldly forces—greed, dependency, flattery, and social pressures.
Bhūmi-khaṇḍa frequently blends sacred geography with moral instruction (nīti): it highlights the instability of worldly conditions and encourages inner steadiness, often aligning with a devotional or renunciant outlook.