Shloka 32
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
का त्वं भवसि कल्याणि कस्य भार्या भविष्यसि । यस्य त्वं सगुणा भार्या स धन्यः पुण्यभाग्भुवि
kā tvaṃ bhavasi kalyāṇi kasya bhāryā bhaviṣyasi | yasya tvaṃ saguṇā bhāryā sa dhanyaḥ puṇyabhāgbhuvi
«Wer bist du, o glückverheißende Frau? Wessen Gattin wirst du werden? Der, dessen Gattin du bist—du, reich an Tugenden—ist wahrlich gesegnet und trägt großes Verdienst auf Erden.»
Unspecified (context-dependent; verse is a direct address to a woman)
Concept: A virtuous spouse is a sign and source of puṇya; companionship in dharma is itself a blessing.
Application: Choose relationships by character; honor and support the virtues of one’s partner; treat marriage as shared dharma rather than mere social contract.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A traveler or nobleman, struck by the woman’s auspicious presence, asks her identity with gentle astonishment. The woman stands composed, eyes lowered in modesty, her virtues suggested through calm posture and simple dignity. The air feels charged with maṅgala, as if unseen merit surrounds her.","primary_figures":["questioning male speaker","auspicious woman (kalyāṇī)"],"setting":"A roadside rest near a sacred grove, with a small water pot, travel staff, and a distant path leading toward tirthas.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["warm gold","pearl white","forest green","vermillion","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the male speaker in ornate attire gestures inquisitively yet reverently toward the kalyāṇī woman; gold leaf highlights around both figures to indicate puṇya, rich vermillion borders, stylized sacred grove and small shrine elements, heavy jewelry and silk textures, symmetrical composition with arch and lamp motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate conversational moment on a forest path, delicate linework, soft mountain greens and blues; the woman modest and luminous, the man curious; small details like a kamandalu, flowering shrubs, and distant pilgrims on the road; refined expressions and gentle spatial depth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, the woman’s auspiciousness shown by a subtle halo and lotus motifs; the man’s questioning hand gesture; background with stylized trees and a simple shrine, strong reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders and lotus medallions framing a dialogue scene; deep blue ground with gold highlights; peacocks perched on vines; the woman centered as maṅgala-śrī, with delicate textile patterns and a hinted tulasi altar to evoke Vaishnava auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["footsteps on a path","rustling leaves","soft bell from a wayside shrine","distant flowing water"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुण्यभाग्भुवि = पुण्यभाग् + भुवि (final -ग् + भ- sandhi).
FAQs
It praises virtue (guṇa) and suggests that being united with a virtuous spouse is a mark of great fortune and accumulated merit (puṇya).
No. In this standalone shloka, no named deity, sage, or place is mentioned; identifying the speaker requires surrounding narrative context.
It implies that character and virtues are worthy of honor, and that righteous relationships are connected with dharma and the fruits of past merit.