Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 49
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
स एव तत्तथा भुंक्ते नित्यं विहितमात्मना । आत्मना विहितं दुःखं चात्मना विहितं सुखम्
sa eva tattathā bhuṃkte nityaṃ vihitamātmanā | ātmanā vihitaṃ duḥkhaṃ cātmanā vihitaṃ sukham
وہی جیو ہمیشہ وہی بھگتتا ہے جو اس کے اپنے نفس نے مقرر کیا ہے؛ اپنے ہی ہاتھوں دکھ بنتا ہے اور اپنے ہی ہاتھوں سکھ بنتا ہے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Happiness and suffering are fashioned by oneself; the experiencer meets the precise fruit of self-authored action.
Application: Replace blame with introspection: track intentions, speech, and habits; adopt daily sādhana (japa, sat-saṅga, Ekādaśī restraint) to ‘author’ future sukha through dharmic choices.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contemplative figure sits before a still mirror-like lake; on the water’s surface appear two reflections—one radiant with lotus garlands (sukha), one shadowed with thorny vines (duḥkha)—both emerging from the same person’s hands as if painted into being. Above, a faint Vishnu-sudarshana motif suggests the impartial law that makes the reflections true.","primary_figures":["a contemplative human (jīva)","personified Sukha and Duḥkha as mirrored reflections","a subtle Vishnu-chakra emblem (symbolic)"],"setting":"quiet forest hermitage by a glassy pond with a small lamp and scripture stand","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["silver moonlight","deep teal","lotus pink","smoky violet","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central seated devotee-sage by a reflective pond, twin reflected forms of Sukha and Duḥkha rendered with ornate jewelry and contrasting garlands; gold leaf halo around the dharma-chakra above, rich maroons and greens, decorative arch framing the scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate nocturne landscape, fine ripples on the pond, subtle facial emotion, cool blues and teals, lyrical trees and distant hills; reflections painted with translucent washes to show self-authored experience.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines for the seated figure and two reflection-forms, stylized lotus pond, strong red/yellow/green accents with a dark teal ground; temple-wall symmetry and a prominent chakra motif overhead.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: lotus-filled pond as central motif, ornate floral border, twin mirrored figures integrated into lotus medallions, deep indigo cloth ground with gold highlights, peacocks perched near the water’s edge."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["night insects","gentle water lapping","single temple bell","long silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स एव = सः + एव; विहितमात्मना = विहितम् + आत्मना; चात्मना = च + आत्मना
FAQs
It emphasizes personal responsibility: one’s own actions and dispositions shape one’s experience of happiness and suffering.
Yes. It aligns with karma by stating that outcomes—pleasant or painful—are “ordained” through oneself (ātmanā), implying self-caused results rather than random fate.
Since joy and sorrow are self-fashioned, one should cultivate right conduct, restraint, and wise choices, rather than blaming others or external circumstances.