Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 38
The Tale of Sukalā: Illusion, Desire, and the Testing of a Chaste Wife
within the Vena Cycle
तामेव हंतुं कुसुमायुधोपि साध्वीं सुपुण्यां कृकलस्य भार्याम् । समुत्सुकस्तिष्ठति बाणलक्षं तस्याश्च कायं नयनैर्विलोक्य
tāmeva haṃtuṃ kusumāyudhopi sādhvīṃ supuṇyāṃ kṛkalasya bhāryām | samutsukastiṣṭhati bāṇalakṣaṃ tasyāśca kāyaṃ nayanairvilokya
Begierig, sie zu töten —Kṛkalas Gattin, eine keusche und höchst tugendhafte Frau— stand Kusumāyudha (Kāma), nachdem er ihren Leib mit den Augen betrachtet hatte, voller Eifer bereit und nahm sie als Ziel seiner Pfeilspitze ins Visier.
Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue speaker not identifiable from this single verse alone)
Concept: Unchecked kāma becomes violent toward dharma; chastity and inner purity are portrayed as a spiritual force that attracts trials yet remains worthy of protection.
Application: Treat desire as an energy to be disciplined; avoid objectifying gaze; protect vows (relationships, commitments, spiritual practices) from subtle ‘arrows’ of distraction.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a blossom-choked forest clearing, Kāma (Kusumāyudha) stands half-hidden behind flowering vines, his sugarcane bow drawn, eyes fixed on a radiant sādhvī. The chaste woman, serene yet vulnerable, is framed by a halo-like calm as the air thickens with perfumed tension—desire poised to strike, dharma refusing to tremble.","primary_figures":["Kusumāyudha (Kāma)","Kṛkala’s chaste wife (sādhvī)"],"setting":"Dense, enchanting forest with heavy blossoms, creepers, and a quiet clearing; subtle siddha-presence suggested by faint silhouettes or hovering lights.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["lotus pink","emerald green","saffron gold","deep indigo","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kāma with sugarcane bow and flower-arrows poised, standing amid ornate floral scrollwork; the sādhvī in modest garments with a luminous aura, gold leaf halo and borders, rich crimson-green background, gem-studded ornaments on Kāma, intricate vine motifs, devotional-dramatic tension frozen at the moment of aim.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical forest with delicate blossoms and fine linework; Kāma partially concealed behind a tree, bow drawn; the sādhvī calm and radiant in pale garments, refined faces, cool greens and blues, gentle atmospheric depth, tiny birds startled mid-flight to heighten suspense.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; Kāma in stylized posture with prominent eyes and ornate crown, flower-arrows emphasized; the sādhvī with serene wide eyes and a protective aura, dense floral background in red/yellow/green, temple-wall compositional symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: an opulent floral grove with lotus and creeper borders; Kāma as a decorative yet ominous figure aiming flower-arrows; the sādhvī centered with calm radiance, peacocks and bees swirling in patterned motion, deep blue ground with gold highlights, intricate botanical motifs dominating the textile surface."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","distant cuckoo calls","low temple bell drone","sudden hush","soft bowstring tension"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तामेव = ताम् + एव; कुसुमायुधोपि = कुसुमायुधः + अपि (विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-सन्धि); समुत्सुकस्तिष्ठति = समुत्सुकः + तिष्ठति (विसर्ग-लोप); तस्याश्च = तस्याः + च (विसर्ग-लोप); नयनैर्विलोक्य = नयनैः + विलोक्य (विसर्ग-रेफादेश)।
FAQs
“Kusumāyudha” (“one whose weapon is flowers”) is an epithet of Kāma, the deity/personification of desire, who shoots flower-arrows to arouse passion.
The imagery frames desire as an attacking force; the verse highlights the moral tension between temptation and steadfast virtue, implying the need for restraint and protection of dharma.
Not by itself. This single śloka functions as narrative description; the specific dialogue pair (e.g., Pulastya–Bhīṣma or Śiva–Pārvatī) must be confirmed from surrounding verses in Adhyaya 57.