Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 24
Glory of Guru-tīrtha and the Kubjā Confluence: How Festival Bathing Removes Grave Sin
भस्मीभूतास्तु संजाता रेवायाः कुब्जया हताः । तास्तु हता महाभाग या मृतास्तु सरित्तटे
bhasmībhūtāstu saṃjātā revāyāḥ kubjayā hatāḥ | tāstu hatā mahābhāga yā mṛtāstu sarittaṭe
وہ رِیوا کی کُبجا کے ہاتھوں قتل ہو کر خاکستر ہو گئیں۔ اے سعادت مند! جو مارے گئے، جو دریا کے کنارے پر مر گئے،
Unknown (context not provided; likely within a Purāṇic narrator-to-listener dialogue)
Concept: A tīrtha is not merely a location but a moral threshold—actions at sacred waters intensify karmic outcomes, for good or ill.
Application: Approach sacred places with humility and restraint; do not treat pilgrimage as tourism—ethical conduct is part of the rite.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the sandy bank of the Revā, a fierce woman-figure Kubjā stands like a local guardian spirit, while victims collapse into ash as if consumed by an unseen sacrificial fire. The river flows indifferent yet sacred, reflecting a cold silver sheen, suggesting that tīrtha-power magnifies both judgment and purification.","primary_figures":["Kubjā of the Revā (local legendary figure)","Revā/Narmadā river-goddess (subtle presence)","Fallen women (narrative figures)"],"setting":"Narmadā riverbank with rippling water, sandbars, and distant ghats/steps","lighting_mood":"storm-cleared twilight with sharp silver reflections","color_palette":["river-silver","deep teal","sand-ochre","smoke-gray","blood-maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kubjā as a fierce guardian on the Narmadā ghat, adorned with heavy ornaments; the river rendered with stylized waves and gold-leaf highlights; ash forms at her feet as moral consequence; background temple spires and ghats, rich reds/greens with gold leaf on jewelry and water ripples, framed by lotus-and-conch borders to hint at Vaishnava tīrtha power.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical yet tense riverbank scene—cool-toned Narmadā flowing diagonally, Kubjā in the foreground with restrained ferocity, figures turning to ash like pale dust; distant hills and small shrines, delicate linework, atmospheric perspective, muted palette with a single maroon accent for danger.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: central Kubjā with bold outlines and expressive eyes, flanked by stylized river motifs of Revā; ash heaps and fallen figures arranged symmetrically; use natural pigments—teal water, ochre bank, gray ash—while adding a small Vaishnava emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) in the corner to signal tīrtha sanctity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Narmadā as a flowing decorative band with lotus motifs; Kubjā depicted as a strong folk-guardian figure at the ghat; ash-gray floral patterns near the bottom transitioning into bright lotus borders near the top, symbolizing the possibility of purification; intricate border work with peacocks subdued in color to match the somber narrative."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","ghat footsteps","distant drum","wind through reeds","brief conch call"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भस्मीभूताः+तु→भस्मीभूतास्तु; संजाता (संजाताः) as visarga-less before following word in some recensions; ताः+तु→तास्तु; मृताः+तु→मृतास्तु; सरित्+तटे→सरित्तटे (त्+त→त्त).
FAQs
The verse explicitly situates the event at the Revā (Narmadā) and mentions deaths occurring at the riverbank (sarittaṭa), pointing to a riverine sacred landscape typical of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa tīrtha narratives.
Revā refers to the Narmadā River, while Kubjā is named as the agent who slays the beings mentioned; the verse states they became “bhasmībhūta” (reduced to ashes).
On its own, the verse emphasizes the stark consequence of violence and death at a sacred boundary (the riverbank), but the fuller ethical teaching depends on the surrounding narrative context (who was killed, why, and what dharmic principle is being illustrated).