Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 38
Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven
Ethical Catalog of Destinies
ये नामभागान्कुर्वंति क्षुत्तृष्णा श्रमपीडिताः । हंतकारस्य कर्तारस्ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः
ye nāmabhāgānkurvaṃti kṣuttṛṣṇā śramapīḍitāḥ | haṃtakārasya kartāraste narāḥ svargagāminaḥ
جو لوگ بھوک، پیاس اور تھکن سے ستائے ہوئے بھی مقدّس نام کا مقررہ حصہ ادا کرتے رہتے ہیں—وہ ‘ہنتکار’ کے عامل بن کر سُورگ کو جاتے ہیں۔
Unspecified (context not provided; verse presented standalone from Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 96)
Concept: Even under bodily distress, continuing one’s allotted sacred practice—especially nāma-related duty—elevates one to salvific agency and heaven.
Application: Keep a minimal daily vow of remembrance (japa, kīrtana, or a fixed number of names) even on difficult days; treat discomfort as a test of sincerity rather than a reason to abandon practice.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A weary pilgrim, dust-covered and sun-struck, pauses on a long road yet continues to count prayer beads, lips moving in the Lord’s name. Above, a faint divine radiance forms a protective canopy, suggesting that the saving cry rises beyond bodily limits and becomes a bridge to heaven.","primary_figures":["devotee/pilgrim","Vishnu (subtle celestial presence)","attendant birds or deer (witnesses of endurance)"],"setting":"arid pilgrimage road with sparse trees, distant temple silhouette, and a small water pot nearly empty","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sun-bleached sand","turquoise sky","saffron cloth","smoky violet shadows","radiant gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central exhausted pilgrim with japa-mālā, dramatic gold leaf aura descending from a small Viṣṇu form in the upper panel; rich saffron and crimson textiles, embossed gold highlights on beads and halo, ornate border with lotus and conch motifs symbolizing nāma’s protection.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical long-road scene with delicate brushwork; pilgrim under a pale sky, distant shrine on a hill, subtle glow indicating divine grace; cool shadows and refined facial expression showing resolve amid fatigue.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; pilgrim in dynamic posture, stylized sun and radiance, Viṣṇu emblematic presence with śaṅkha-cakra above; earthy reds/yellows/greens with rhythmic patterning to convey tapas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic nāma-kīrtana composition—devotee with mālā surrounded by lotus and conch patterns; a central medallion of Viṣṇu; peacocks and floral borders; deep blue field with gold script-like motifs representing the saving utterance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["steady hand-drum pulse","distant conch shell","wind over dry ground","footsteps on gravel","soft mantra undertone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नामभागान्कुर्वंति = नामभागान् कुर्वन्ति (न् + क् सन्धिः; IAST kurvaṃti = कुर्वन्ति)। कर्तारस्ते = कर्तारः ते (विसर्ग-सन्धिः)।
FAQs
It implies one’s allotted share or committed portion of nāma—regular recitation/chanting of the divine name as a vowed practice, performed even under hardship.
Perseverance in sacred duty (especially nāma-practice) despite bodily discomfort—hunger, thirst, and exhaustion—is praised as spiritually meritorious.
By elevating steadfast engagement with the divine Name as a direct cause of auspicious destiny (svarga), it underscores a bhakti-oriented valuation of nāma as a potent, accessible spiritual discipline.