Shloka 54
The Abduction/Seduction of Ahalyā and Indra’s Mark
Sahasrākṣa
इति श्रीपाद्मपुराणे प्रथमे सृष्टिखंडे अहल्याहरणंनाम चतुष्पंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
iti śrīpādmapurāṇe prathame sṛṣṭikhaṃḍe ahalyāharaṇaṃnāma catuṣpaṃcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ
এইভাবে শ্রীপদ্মপুরাণের প্রথম সৃষ্টিখণ্ডে ‘অহল্যাহরণ’ নামক চুয়ান্নতম অধ্যায় সমাপ্ত হল।
Narrator/Redactor (colophon line; not part of the dialogue)
Concept: Śāstra is preserved through careful structure—chapters, titles, and endings—supporting faithful remembrance and recitation.
Application: Treat study/recitation as a vrata-like discipline: begin, complete, and conclude with mindfulness; keep notes of sources and contexts to avoid distortion.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A palm-leaf manuscript lies open on a low wooden desk, its final line written in elegant Nāgarī, while a scribe places a fresh lotus beside a small Viṣṇu icon. In the background, a quiet āśrama library glows with oil lamps, signaling the completion of a sacred chapter and the continuity of tradition.","primary_figures":["scribe (lekhaka)","Vaiṣṇava reciter (paurāṇika)","small Viṣṇu icon (mūrti)"],"setting":"āśrama library/scriptorium with palm-leaf manuscripts, ink pot, stylus, lotus offering","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["burnished gold","palm-leaf ochre","lamp-flame amber","deep vermilion","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated paurāṇika-scribe before an open palm-leaf manuscript inscribed with the colophon line, a small Viṣṇu shrine at the side with gold-leaf halo, rich red and green textiles, gem-studded ornaments on the icon, ornate arch motif, sacred lotus placed as offering, intricate gold embellishment on borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an intimate āśrama study scene with delicate brushwork—scribe finishing the last line of a chapter on a palm-leaf folio, a quiet Vaiṣṇava altar with a tiny Viṣṇu image, cool earthy palette, refined faces, slender lamps, Himalayan-like stylized trees beyond a window, lyrical stillness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments—scribe and reciter near a small Viṣṇu shrine, lamp-lit interior, stylized lotus and manuscript motifs, characteristic large eyes, red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall aesthetic with decorative bands framing the colophon completion.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: manuscript-completion tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs, central small Viṣṇu/Śrī icon with deep blue and gold accents, hanging lamps, peacocks at the border corners, devotional atmosphere emphasizing śāstra-śravaṇa as offering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","lamp crackle","page/palm-leaf rustle","distant conch shell","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तमोऽध्यायः = तमः + अध्यायः (अः + अ → ओऽ). अहल्याहरणंनाम = अहल्याहरणं + नाम (सन्ध्यभावः/पदसंयोगः).
FAQs
It is a colophon (chapter-ending marker) that names the text (Padma Purāṇa), the section (Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa), and the chapter number and title.
Literally “the carrying away/abduction of Ahalyā”; it serves as the chapter title summarizing the main episode discussed in Adhyaya 54.
No character is speaking; it is an editorial/narratorial closure formula used to mark the end of the chapter.