Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 68
The Sin of Breaking Households: Citrā’s Past Karma and the Remedy of Hari’s Name and Meditation
कज्जलं वमते पश्चात्तैलस्यापि महामते । कृष्णासौ दृश्यते रेखा दीपस्याग्रे महामते
kajjalaṃ vamate paścāttailasyāpi mahāmate | kṛṣṇāsau dṛśyate rekhā dīpasyāgre mahāmate
پھر، اے صاحبِ رائے، چراغ کاجل اُگلتا ہے؛ اور تیل سے بھی، اے دانا۔ اے صاحبِ رائے، چراغ کی نوک پر ایک سیاہ لکیر دکھائی دیتی ہے۔
Unspecified (context needed to confirm the dialogue pair)
Concept: Even in a functioning lamp, soot appears—signifying that subtle residues arise from contact with fuel; likewise, subtle saṃskāras can manifest even during practice and must be recognized without discouragement.
Application: Use ‘soot checks’: brief nightly self-review—where did desire/anger leave a trace? Offer it to Vishnu through confession, nāma, and corrective resolve rather than self-blame.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A close, intimate view of a lamp flame shows a thin black soot-line curling at the tip, contrasted against a luminous golden aura. A sage points gently to the soot as a teaching on subtle impurities, while the king watches with dawning understanding.","primary_figures":["sage-teacher","king (mahāmati/rājendra)","oil lamp flame with soot"],"setting":"Quiet study corner of a palace-temple hybrid: palm-leaf manuscripts, a small Vishnu altar, and a single lamp as the focal object.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit introspection","color_palette":["charcoal black","amber gold","burnt umber","cream parchment","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: extreme emphasis on the lamp flame with embossed gold leaf glow, a delicate black soot curl rendered sharply; sage and king in rich textiles, ornate borders, miniature Vishnu shrine behind with gold halo work.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate close-up composition, fine brushwork for the soot line, soft gradients in the flame; calm faces, cool background wash, subtle architectural details and manuscript props.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized flame motif with rhythmic soot curl, bold outlines, warm red/yellow fields; sage’s instructive gesture, symmetrical framing with floral bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lamp-flame medallion with a thin black accent at the tip, surrounded by lotus borders and small devotional motifs; deep blue cloth ground, gold highlights, intricate patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft lamp crackle","page rustle","night insects faintly","temple bell distant"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पश्चात्तैलस्यापि = पश्चात् + तैलस्य + अपि; कृष्णासौ = कृष्णा + असौ; दीपस्याग्रे = दीपस्य + अग्रे; (IAST 'paścāttailasyāpi' reflects these sandhis).
FAQs
It describes a burning oil-lamp where soot appears and a black streak becomes visible at the lamp’s tip.
It is a respectful vocative (“O wise one”) used for emphasis and to maintain the didactic tone of a teacher addressing a learned listener.
Such concrete imagery commonly supports an ethical or philosophical point (e.g., how impurity arises even from a seeming source of light), but the precise lesson depends on surrounding verses.