Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 52
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
वृद्धत्वं नास्ति चैवास्य स्वयंसिद्धः सुसिद्धिदः । अमरो निर्जरो व्यापी सुसिद्धः सर्ववित्तमः
vṛddhatvaṃ nāsti caivāsya svayaṃsiddhaḥ susiddhidaḥ | amaro nirjaro vyāpī susiddhaḥ sarvavittamaḥ
لا شيخوخةَ له البتّة. هو المتحقّق بذاته، وواهبُ الكمال التام. خالدٌ لا يعتريه فناء، منزّهٌ عن البِلى، شاملٌ لكلّ شيء—متحقّقٌ على التمام، وهو العليمُ الأعلى بكلّ ما يكون.
Unspecified (verse excerpt; surrounding dialogue not provided)
Concept: The Supreme is beyond aging and decay—self-perfect, all-pervading, omniscient; refuge in Him transcends mortality.
Application: Shift identity from perishing body to devotion toward the imperishable Lord; cultivate remembrance, surrender, and ethical living grounded in His omniscience.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmic vision of the Lord as an ageless, radiant presence: a vast blue form subtly filling the sky, with galaxies and the four directions reflected in His aura. Sages below look upward in astonished peace as a stream of light pours from the Lord’s chest, symbolizing siddhi bestowed without any change in His eternal nature.","primary_figures":["Vishnu (cosmic all-pervading form)","astonished sages/seekers"],"setting":"celestial_realm with starfields and a luminous horizon above a quiet sacrificial ground","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","starlit silver","radiant gold","violet dusk","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vishnu as an ageless cosmic sovereign with a large gold-leaf prabhāmaṇḍala, conch and discus, jewels and silk; sages at the bottom in folded hands; ornate gold borders, rich reds/greens, embossed celestial motifs showing omnipresence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene cosmic Vishnu hovering above a hilltop yajña-śālā, delicate starry wash, refined faces of sages in wonder; cool blues and violets, subtle gradients, lyrical sense of infinite space.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: monumental Vishnu with bold outlines, stylized cosmic elements (sun, moon, stars) within the aura; saturated reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall symmetry, large eyes conveying omniscience and calm power.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Vishnu-centered composition framed by lotus and vine borders; deep blue ground with gold constellations, attendants and sages in narrative registers; intricate floral filigree suggesting all-pervasion and siddhi-bestowal."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (soft)","temple bells","tanpura drone","low mridangam pulse","expansive silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नास्ति = न + अस्ति; चैव = च + एव; अस्य (एव) अस्य; स्वयंसिद्धः = स्वयम् + सिद्धः (अव्ययीभाव-समास); सुसिद्धिदः = सु + सिद्धि + दः; सर्ववित्तमः = सर्व + वित्तमः (तमप्).
FAQs
It highlights freedom from old age and decay (nirjara), immortality (amara), all-pervasiveness (vyāpī), self-existence/self-accomplishment (svayaṃsiddha), and omniscience (sarvavittama).
It means “self-established” or “self-accomplished”: the divine does not depend on any external cause or agency to be what He is, unlike conditioned beings.
It encourages devotion and reliance on the imperishable, all-knowing divine reality rather than on transient, aging, and limited worldly supports.