Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 13
The Deeds of Cyavana
in the Context of Guru-tirtha Glorification
तेषां नैव प्रजानामि विशेषं पापनाशनम् । सुपुण्यानि सुदिव्यानि पापघ्नानि समानि च
teṣāṃ naiva prajānāmi viśeṣaṃ pāpanāśanam | supuṇyāni sudivyāni pāpaghnāni samāni ca
ان کے بارے میں میں گناہ کے ناس کرنے کی قوت میں کوئی خاص امتیاز ہرگز نہیں جانتا؛ سب یکساں نہایت پُنیہ والے، حقیقتاً دیویہ اور گناہ کو مٹانے والے ہیں۔
Unspecified (context needed to identify the dialogue pair; commonly Pulastya addressing Bhīṣma in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narratives)
Concept: All sacred tīrthas are equally potent in destroying sin; the seeker should approach them with faith rather than anxiety over ranking.
Application: Avoid spiritual comparison and ‘best-place’ obsession; choose a practice/pilgrimage you can sustain with sincerity, humility, and ethical living.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A celestial map unfurls like a luminous scroll above the earth, showing countless tīrthas as glowing lotus-nodes connected by rivers of light. A sage-narrator gestures calmly, teaching that each radiant node is equally divine, while pilgrims of many regions bow with folded hands.","primary_figures":["a serene sage narrator (Pulastya-like)","pilgrims (men and women)","personified tīrthas as lotus-aura beings"],"setting":"A liminal sacred landscape blending riverbanks, ghats, and a starry celestial canopy—symbolizing all tīrthas at once.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","lotus pink","gold leaf","pearl white","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central sage seated on a jeweled pedestal, right hand in teaching gesture, surrounded by circular medallions of many tīrthas rendered as lotus-emblems; heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch framing, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a calm sage on a river terrace with distant layered hills; multiple small vignettes of tīrthas in the margins like illuminated manuscript panels; delicate brushwork, cool blues and greens, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, soft cloud bands and flowing river lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; the sage with large expressive eyes, stylized river waves and lotus clusters; tīrthas depicted as radiant personified figures with simple crowns; dominant red/yellow/green palette with rhythmic ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a vast lotus pond where each lotus bears a tīrtha-name cartouche; peacocks and cows at the borders; deep indigo background with gold highlights; central devotional focus on sanctity-as-universal, intricate floral borders and ghats rendered as patterned bands."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","distant flowing water","conch shell (faint)","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव = न + एव; पापनाशनम् (तत्पुरुष); सुपुण्यानि/सुदिव्यानि (सु-उपसर्गयुक्त कर्मधारय); पापघ्नानि (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)
FAQs
It teaches that among the sacred items/places under discussion, the speaker sees no special hierarchy—each is equally divine, highly meritorious, and capable of destroying sin.
No. The verse explicitly denies a “viśeṣa” (special distinction) in sin-destroying power, presenting them as “samāni” (equal).
It encourages humility and non-sectarian reverence: rather than competing over “which is best,” one should value sincere engagement with dharmic, purifying practices that cultivate merit and reduce wrongdoing.