Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 13
Yayāti and Mātali: Embodiment, Dharma as Rejuvenation, and the Medicine of Kṛṣṇa’s Name
मम कालो गतो दूत अब्दा प्रनंत्यमनुत्तमम् । यथा षोडशवर्षस्य कायः पुंसः प्रशोभते
mama kālo gato dūta abdā pranaṃtyamanuttamam | yathā ṣoḍaśavarṣasya kāyaḥ puṃsaḥ praśobhate
اے قاصد! میرا وقت گزر گیا، برس پھسل گئے؛ پھر بھی اعلیٰ ترین معنی میں بدن چمکتا ہے، جیسے سولہ سالہ مرد کا جسم تاباں ہوتا ہے۔
Unspecified (a first-person speaker addressing a messenger/dūta; wider dialogue context not provided)
Concept: Chronological time may pass, yet dharmic-spiritual vitality can preserve inner and even outer radiance.
Application: Do not equate aging with inevitable decline; cultivate daily disciplines (sandhya, japa, vrata-like restraint) that keep mind and body luminous.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A weary traveler speaks to a messenger, confessing that years have slipped away—yet his form glows with the fresh radiance of youth. The contrast is visual: faint lines of age in the face, but a halo-like tejas around the body, as if dharma itself has polished him from within.","primary_figures":["unnamed speaker (devotee/ascetic)","dūta (messenger)"],"setting":"A quiet hermitage threshold at dusk, with a small tulasi planter and a simple water pot nearby, suggesting daily discipline without naming a specific tirtha.","lighting_mood":"golden dusk with subtle divine radiance","color_palette":["amber gold","ash-white","deep indigo","lotus pink","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene hermitage at twilight; the devotee stands with a gentle halo of tejas, speaking to a messenger; gold leaf embellishment around the aura and the dusk sky; rich maroon and emerald garments, gem-studded ornaments minimal and ascetic; traditional South Indian iconographic clarity, ornate border with lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical dusk in a forest hermitage; delicate brushwork showing the devotee’s youthful glow despite time-worn expression; cool indigo sky, soft amber horizon; refined facial features, slender trees, a small tulasi plant near the doorway; intimate conversational posture with the messenger.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and warm natural pigments; the devotee’s body rendered with luminous yellow-ochre highlights signifying tejas; dusk background in red and indigo bands; stylized tulasi planter and water pot; characteristic large eyes and calm expressions.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional border of lotuses and vines framing a dusk scene; the devotee’s radiance depicted as concentric floral halos; deep blue background with gold accents; peacocks perched on branches; subtle Vaishnava symbols (shankha-chakra motifs) woven into the textile-like patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["evening temple bell","soft wind in leaves","distant conch","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: IAST 'pranaṃtyamanuttamam' resolved as 'praṇanti anuttamam' (प्रणन्ति + अनुत्तमम्). षोडशवर्षस्य = षोडश + वर्षस्य (द्विगु).
FAQs
It contrasts the passing of time and years with the image of youthful radiance, suggesting reflection on temporality and appearance.
The verse directly addresses a messenger, but the specific identity is not recoverable from the single shloka alone; it depends on the surrounding narrative of Adhyaya 72.
It encourages awareness that time inevitably advances, while external beauty or vigor is transient—prompting detachment and wiser use of one’s life-span.