Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 11
Yayāti and Mātali: Embodiment, Dharma as Rejuvenation, and the Medicine of Kṛṣṇa’s Name
मातले किल्बिषाच्चैव जरादोषात्प्रजायते । पश्य मे पुण्यसंयुक्तं कायं षोडशवार्षिकम्
mātale kilbiṣāccaiva jarādoṣātprajāyate | paśya me puṇyasaṃyuktaṃ kāyaṃ ṣoḍaśavārṣikam
اے ماتلی! گناہ ہی سے بڑھاپے کا عیب پیدا ہوتا ہے۔ دیکھو، میرا جسم پُنّیہ سے آراستہ ہے اور سولہ برس کا سا دکھائی دیتا ہے۔
Unspecified (speaker addressing Mātali; likely a divine/royal figure in dialogue)
Concept: Sin generates the defect of aging; merit can preserve a youthful, radiant embodiment.
Application: Choose actions that reduce harm and increase purity—truthfulness, charity, self-restraint, devotion—so the mind-body complex remains fit for sādhana.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a jeweled celestial chariot platform, Mātali listens as a radiant figure reveals a body glowing with the freshness of sixteen years, despite the weight of time. The speaker’s skin shines like polished gold, while faint shadow-forms labeled ‘kālī jarā’ retreat into the background, symbolizing aging driven away by merit.","primary_figures":["Mātali","youthful radiant speaker (unspecified)","celestial attendants"],"setting":"Indra’s chariot pavilion in Svarga, with banners, lotus garlands, and a distant amṛta garden","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunlit gold","sky blue","lotus pink","white jasmine","ruby red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Mātali beside a richly ornamented chariot, the youthful speaker centered with a large gold-leaf halo; intricate jewelry, silk garments in crimson and green; background Svarga garden with stylized kalpavṛkṣa; gold leaf highlights on ornaments and chariot carvings.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant chariot scene with soft sky gradients; Mātali’s attentive posture, the speaker’s youthful face rendered with refined lines; delicate floral motifs, cool blues and pinks, gentle dawn light and lyrical composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, large expressive eyes; chariot wheels and banners stylized; speaker’s body painted in warm golden tones, Mātali in bright reds and greens; patterned lotus background with mural texture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central youthful figure framed by lotus and floral borders; Mātali and chariot elements stylized like attendants; peacocks and kalpavṛkṣa motifs; deep blue ground with gold detailing and pink lotuses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["chariot bells (subtle)","temple bells","soft wind","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: किल्बिषाच्चैव = किल्बिषात् + च + एव; जरादोषात्प्रजायते = जरादोषात् + प्रजायते; पुण्यसंयुक्तम् = पुण्य + संयुक्तम्; षोडशवार्षिकम् = षोडश + वार्षिकम् (द्विगु).
FAQs
It links moral causality (sin and merit) with embodied experience, stating that sin gives rise to the affliction of old age, while merit is associated with a youthful, radiant condition.
Mātali is famously known as Indra’s charioteer, frequently appearing in narratives involving divine journeys, royal heroes, and celestial guidance.
The verse suggests that one’s conduct has tangible consequences: cultivating puṇya (merit) supports well-being and vitality, while kilbiṣa (sin) leads to decline and suffering.