Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 112
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
न ते सुखाय मंतव्याः स्वेदजा इव बिंदवः । कृमिभिस्ताड्यमानस्य कुष्ठिनः पामरस्य च
na te sukhāya maṃtavyāḥ svedajā iva biṃdavaḥ | kṛmibhistāḍyamānasya kuṣṭhinaḥ pāmarasya ca
Chớ xem những giọt ấy là đem lại hạnh phúc—chỉ như giọt mồ hôi—đối với kẻ phong cùi khốn khổ, bị giòi bọ cắn xé hành hạ.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 66)
Concept: Sense-pleasures are not true happiness; they resemble fleeting, involuntary bodily excretions and are bound up with suffering.
Application: When craving arises, contemplate the body’s vulnerability and the short-lived nature of pleasure; redirect attention to japa, seva, and sattvic habits.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark allegorical scene: a suffering leper sits on the ground, his skin mottled and ulcerated, while tiny worms torment him—yet above him float glittering ‘beads’ like sweat-drops, symbolizing pleasures mistaken for joy. A compassionate sage stands nearby, pointing not in cruelty but in instruction, urging the viewer toward detachment and higher refuge.","primary_figures":["a renunciant sage (vairagya-upadesha)","a suffering householder (symbolic leper)"],"setting":"desolate cremation-ground edge or barren village outskirts, with a distant temple spire barely visible—hinting at the path back to Viṣṇu.","lighting_mood":"harsh twilight with a thin, purifying wind","color_palette":["ash gray","saffron ochre","dull umber","pale bone white","smoky indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an instructive vairagya tableau—sage with raised hand of teaching, the afflicted man seated below; symbolic sweat-drops rendered as pearl-like orbs; distant Viṣṇu temple gopuram; gold leaf halo around the sage, rich maroons and greens in garments, ornate borders, gem-studded ornaments kept minimal to preserve austerity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate linework showing the afflicted figure and the sage on a sparse landscape; muted earth tones, a cool indigo sky, small distant shrine; lyrical but sobering naturalism, refined faces conveying compassion and disgust-turned-wisdom.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized anatomy; the sage in saffron with large expressive eyes, the afflicted body shown symbolically (not grotesque), worms as patterned motifs; temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green pigments and a restrained palette for the suffering figure.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition with a small central shrine of Śrī Viṣṇu; surrounding border of lotus motifs contrasted with ‘sweat-pearl’ droplets; cows/peacocks minimized; deep blue background with gold detailing to show the higher refuge beyond bodily misery."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","wind over dry ground","distant conch shell","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मंतव्याः = मन्तव्याः (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद); कृमिभिस्ताड्यमानस्य = कृमिभिः + ताड्यमानस्य (ः + त् → स् + त्)
FAQs
It warns that certain things assumed to give pleasure should not be trusted as sources of happiness; for a person steeped in suffering and degradation, such ‘pleasures’ are as insignificant as sweat-drops.
The harsh imagery intensifies the ethical point: when one’s condition is deeply afflicted, superficial comforts do not cure the root misery and can be meaningless or even delusive.
Do not mistake fleeting, surface-level gratification for genuine well-being; instead, address underlying causes of distress through discipline, right conduct, and inner clarity.