Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 10
The Glory of Guru-Tīrtha: The Guru as Supreme Pilgrimage
Prelude: Cyavana and the Parable Cycle
गृहेप्रकाशयेद्दीपः समूहं नृपसत्तम । तेजसा नाशयेत्सर्वमंधकारघनाविलम्
gṛheprakāśayeddīpaḥ samūhaṃ nṛpasattama | tejasā nāśayetsarvamaṃdhakāraghanāvilam
اے بہترین بادشاہ! چراغ کو چاہیے کہ پورے گھر کو روشن کرے؛ اپنی روشنی سے وہ ہر گھنا اور مکدر اندھیرا مٹا دے۔
Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Light should pervade the whole house and destroy dense darkness—an allegory for knowledge and disciplined practice removing ignorance and negligence.
Application: Keep one’s environment and mind ‘well-lit’: regular study, prayer, honest routines; remove ‘dark corners’—bad habits, secrecy, procrastination.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a traditional royal house, a single oil lamp is placed high so its glow reaches every corridor, revealing carved pillars, clean floors, and a small shrine niche. The darkness retreats like smoke, curling away from the lamp’s halo, symbolizing ignorance dissolving under steady practice.","primary_figures":["Household lamp (dīpa) as central symbol","King (nṛpasattama) observing","Household priest/attendant (optional)"],"setting":"Inner palace hall with shrine alcove, brass lampstand, and shadowed corridors becoming visible","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["amber flame","brass gold","warm terracotta","deep umber","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate brass dīpa on a pedestal with exaggerated gold-leaf glow spreading across a richly decorated hall; embossed borders, jewel tones, a small Viṣṇu shrine in the background, traditional South Indian interior details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor scene with a small lamp casting soft gradients; fine architectural lines, patterned textiles, gentle shadows receding; warm amber against cool brown interiors, delicate realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized lamp with bold flame, concentric halos; simplified palace interior with rhythmic pillars; strong outlines, warm reds/yellows, devotional domestic mood.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lamp motif surrounded by lotus and floral borders; deep indigo background with gold lamp-glow patterns; small shrine elements and peacock-feather-like flame shapes for ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft crackle of oil lamp","faint bell at shrine","night silence","distant footsteps on stone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गृहे+प्रकाशयेत्→गृहेप्रकाशयेत्; प्रकाशयेत्+दीपः→प्रकाशयेद्दीपः (त्+द→द्द); नाशयेत्+सर्वम्→नाशयेत्सर्वम्; सर्वम्+अन्धकार...→सर्वमंधकार... (म्+अ→मं)
FAQs
It uses the lamp as an ethical image: true illumination should be complete and effective—like a lamp that removes even dense darkness—implying that clarity, knowledge, or virtue should dispel ignorance and confusion thoroughly.
Addressing a ruler frames the teaching as guidance for leadership: a king’s governance (or discernment) should bring comprehensive clarity and remove the “darkness” of disorder, fear, or ignorance from the realm.
In isolation, it reads primarily as a general dharmic maxim using metaphor rather than explicit sectarian theology; the broader chapter context would determine whether it is applied to devotion, ritual, or governance.