Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 179
Puṣkara Mahatmya: Brahmā’s Lotus-Tīrtha, Sacrifice, Initiation, and Kṣetra-Dharma
आत्मा नित्योऽव्ययश्चैव अधिष्ठाता प्रयोजकः । अव्यक्तः पुरुषो नित्यः कारणं च पितामहः
ātmā nityo'vyayaścaiva adhiṣṭhātā prayojakaḥ | avyaktaḥ puruṣo nityaḥ kāraṇaṃ ca pitāmahaḥ
آتما ابدی اور لازوال ہے—وہی نگران بھی ہے اور محرّک بھی۔ وہ اَویَکت، ازلی پُرُش ہے؛ اور وہی سبب ہے—یعنی پِتامہہ برہما۔
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: The Self/Puruṣa is eternal, imperishable, the overseer and impeller; unmanifest and causal—identified here with Pitāmaha (Brahmā) as the creative cause.
Application: Cultivate reverence for the inner governor: pause before decisions, inquire ‘what impels this?’; align impulses with dharma and devotion rather than habit.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a vast cosmic ocean, a radiant lotus rises, and upon it sits Pitāmaha Brahmā, while behind and within the scene the unmanifest Puruṣa is suggested as a luminous, formless presence—both witness and impeller. The composition balances form (Brahmā) and the ineffable (avyakta) through layered halos and translucent veils of light.","primary_figures":["Brahmā (Pitāmaha)","symbolic Avyakta Puruṣa (formless radiance)","optional: Vishnu implied as cosmic source"],"setting":"cosmic waters with a colossal lotus-seat; star-strewn sky and subtle mandala clouds","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["cosmic navy","radiant gold","lotus pink","pearl white","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Brahmā seated on a grand lotus over cosmic waters, multiple-faced iconography, heavy gold leaf aura, gem-like highlights, layered halos indicating the unmanifest Puruṣa, rich reds and greens, ornate borders, sacred grandeur.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate cosmic ocean and lotus, Brahmā rendered with refined features, translucent washes for the unmanifest presence, cool blues with soft gold accents, lyrical clouds, subtle awe.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Brahmā on lotus with stylized cosmic waves, warm yellow and red highlights, large expressive eyes, concentric halo rings for ‘adhishṭhātā’, temple-wall cosmology feel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: enormous lotus as central motif, intricate floral borders, deep indigo background with gold star dots, Brahmā enthroned, layered circular halos suggesting the unmanifest Puruṣa, ornate symmetry and devotional splendor."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","deep temple bell","oceanic hush","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नित्योऽव्ययः = नित्यः + अव्ययः; चैव = च + एव
FAQs
Yes. By calling the Self the adhiṣṭhātā (overseer) and prayojaka (impeller), the verse presents it as the governing principle behind activity, not merely a passive witness.
It means the unmanifest Puruṣa—the subtle, unperceived cosmic Person/principle from which manifest creation proceeds.
Pitāmaha is a common epithet for Brahmā, the cosmic progenitor. The verse links causality with the creator-function, indicating the ultimate principle as the source behind creation associated with Brahmā.