Adhyaya 54

Verse 1

विष्णुरुवाच । एवमुक्ता गता दूती तया सुकलया तदा । समासेन सुसंप्रोक्तमवधार्य पुरंदरः

Viṣṇu said: Thus addressed, the messenger departed then with Sukalā. Purandara (Indra), having grasped what was clearly conveyed in brief,

Verse 2

तदर्थं भाषितं तस्याः सत्यधर्मसमन्वितम् । आलोच्य साहसं धैर्यं ज्ञानमेव पुरंदरः

Reflecting on her words—spoken for that very purpose and endowed with truth and righteousness—Purandara (Indra) recognized in her courage, steadfastness, and wisdom alone.

Verse 3

ईदृशं हि वदेत्का हि नारी भूत्वा महीतले । योगरूपं सुसंशिष्टं न्यायोदैः क्षालितं वचः

Who indeed, having become a woman on earth, could speak in such a way—words shaped in the form of yoga, well instructed, and cleansed by the waters of sound reasoning?

Verse 4

पवित्रेयं महाभागा सत्यरूपा न संशयः । त्रैलोक्यस्य समस्तस्य धुरं धर्तुं भवेत्क्षमा

She is purifying, O greatly fortunate lady; she is of the very nature of truth—there is no doubt. She is able to bear the entire burden of all the three worlds.

Verse 5

एतदर्थं विचार्यैव जिष्णुः कंदर्पमब्रवीत् । त्वया सह गमिष्यामि द्रष्टुं तां कृकलप्रियाम्

Having reflected on this purpose, Jiṣṇu said to Kandarpa: “I shall go with you to see that woman who is dear to the chameleon.”

Verse 6

प्रत्युवाच सहस्राक्षं मन्मथो बलदर्पितः । गम्यतां तत्र देवेश यत्रास्ते सा पतिव्रता

Inflamed with pride in his might, Manmatha replied to Sahasrākṣa (Indra): “O Lord of the gods, let us go to the place where that devoted wife, steadfast in her pativratā vow, abides.”

Verse 7

मानं वीर्यं बलं धैर्यं तस्याः सत्यं पतिव्रतम् । गत्वाहं नाशयिष्यामि कियन्मात्रा सुरेश्वर

Her pride, valor, strength, and steadfast courage—together with her truthfulness and her pativratā fidelity—these I shall go and shatter. What can a mere woman do, O Lord of the suras?

Verse 8

समाकर्ण्य सहस्राक्षो वचनं मन्मथस्य च । भो भोनंग शृणुष्व त्वमधिकं भाषितं मुधा

Having heard Manmatha’s words, Sahasrākṣa said: “O Ananga, listen—enough has been spoken in vain.”

Verse 9

सुदृढा सत्यवीर्येण सुस्थिरा धर्मकर्मभिः । सुकलेयमजेया वै तत्र ते पौरुषं नहि

Unshakable through the strength of truth and steadfast through dharmic conduct, she—born of noble lineage—is truly unconquerable; there, your manly prowess finds no place.

Verse 10

इत्याकर्ण्य ततः क्रुद्धो मन्मथस्त्विन्द्रमब्रवीत् । ऋषीणां देवतानां च बलं मया प्रणाशितम्

Hearing this, Manmatha (Kāma), enraged, spoke to Indra: “The power of the ṛṣis and of the gods has been destroyed by me.”

Verse 11

अस्या बलं कियन्मात्रं भवता मम कथ्यते । पश्यतस्तव देवेश नाशयिष्यामि तां स्त्रियम्

Tell me, as you understand it, how great her power is. Even as you watch, O Lord of the gods, I shall destroy that woman.

Verse 12

नवनीतं यथा चाग्नेस्तेजो दृष्ट्वा द्रवं व्रजेत् । तथेमां द्रावयिष्यामि स्वेन रूपेण तेजसा

Just as fresh butter, on beholding the heat of fire, melts and turns to liquid, so too shall I melt her by the fiery radiance of my own true form.

Verse 13

गच्छ तत्र महत्कार्यमुपस्थं सांप्रतं ध्रुवम् । कस्मात्कुत्ससि मे तेजस्त्रैलोक्यस्य विनाशनम्

Go there—an important task is surely and immediately at hand. Why do you disparage my radiance, which is able to destroy the three worlds?

Verse 14

विष्णुरुवाच । आकर्ण्य वाक्यं तु मनोभवस्य एतामसाध्यां तव कामजाने । धैर्यं समुद्यम्य च पुण्यदेहां पुण्येन पुण्यां बहुपुण्यचाराम्

Viṣṇu said: Having heard the words of Manobhava (Kāma), O Kāmajāne, and realizing that this task was difficult for you, she—of holy form—gathered her courage; and by her merit became yet more meritorious, her conduct rich in many acts of virtue.

Verse 15

पश्यामि ते पौरुषमुग्रवीर्यमितो हि गत्वा तु धनुष्मता वै । तेनापि सार्धं प्रजगाम भूयो रत्या च दूत्या च पतिव्रतां ताम्

I behold your manly prowess, your fierce heroism. Having departed from here with that bowman, she again went with him, accompanied by Rati and the female messenger, to that faithful wife.

Verse 16

एकां सुपुण्यां स्वगृहस्थितां तां ध्यानेन पत्युश्चरणे नियुक्ताम् । यथा सुयोगी प्रविधाय चित्तं विकल्पहीनं न च कल्पयेत

That supremely virtuous woman, abiding in her own home, was by meditation fixed upon her husband’s feet—like a true yogin who, having composed the mind, remains free from wavering alternatives and does not entertain imagined notions.

Verse 17

अत्यद्भुतं रूपमनंततेजोयुतं चकाराथ सतीप्रमोहम् । नीलांचितं भोगयुतं महात्मा झषध्वजश्चैव पुरंदरश्च

Then the great one fashioned a most wondrous form, endowed with endless radiance, causing even the virtuous lady to fall into amazement. It was marked with deep blue hues and adorned with ornaments; and there too were Jhaṣadhvaja and Purandara (Indra).

Verse 18

दृष्ट्वा सुलीलं पुरुषं महांतं चरंतमेवं परिकामभावम् । जाया हि वैश्यस्य महात्मनस्तु मेने न सा रूपयुतं गुणज्ञम्

Seeing that great man, graceful in bearing and moving about with an air of amorous intent, the wife of that noble vaiśya thought: “He is not one endowed with beauty and discernment of virtue.”

Verse 19

अंभो यथा पद्मदले गतं वै प्रयाति मुक्ताफलकस्य कीर्तिम् । तद्वत्स्वभावः परिसत्ययुक्तो जज्ञे च तस्यास्तु पतिव्रतायाः

Just as water, resting upon a lotus petal, attains the famed brilliance of a pearl, so too, in that devoted wife, a nature endowed with perfect truthfulness was born.

Verse 20

अनेन दूती परिप्रेषिता पुरा यामां युवत्या ह गुणज्ञमेनम् । लीलास्वरूपं बहुधात्मभावं ममैष सर्वं परिदर्शयेच्च

By him, long ago, a female messenger was dispatched to me—sent by that young woman—to approach this discerning man. She was to show him everything of mine: the one whose very nature is sacred play (līlā), who assumes many modes of being.

Verse 21

ममैव कालं प्रबलं विचिंत्यागतो हि मे कांतगुणैश्च सत्खलः । रत्यासमेतस्तु कथं च जीवेत्सत्याश्मभारेण प्रमर्दितश्च

Thinking that my fate—Time alone—was overpowering, that deceitful man came to me, lured by my charming qualities. But how could he live on—when he had joined himself with passion, and was crushed beneath the heavy weight of Truth like a stone?

Verse 22

ममापि भावं परिगृह्य कांतो जीवेत्कियान्वापि सुबुद्धियुक्तः । शून्यो हि कायो मम चास्ति सद्यश्चेष्टाविहीनो मृतकल्प एव

Even if my beloved were to take on my very state of mind and live on—however long—endowed with good understanding, my body is, even now, hollow and inert, bereft of all activity, as if already dead.

Verse 23

कायस्य ग्रामस्य प्रजाः प्रनष्टाः सुविक्रियाख्यं परिगृह्य कर्म । ममाधिकेनापि समं सुकांतं स ऊर्द्ध्वशोभामनयच्च कामः

When the people of Kāya’s village were ruined, he took up an occupation called Suvikriyā. And Kāma, though he was superior to me, brought the handsome Sukānta too to an exalted splendor.

Verse 24

यदामृतो बलवान्हर्षयुक्तः स्वयंदृशा वै परिनृत्यमानः । तथा अनेनापि प्रभाषयेद्भुतं यो मां हि वाञ्छत्यपि भोक्तुकामः

When amṛta, the nectar, grows powerful—filled with joy and, as it were, dancing before one’s very eyes—so too, by this means, one should utter something wondrous; for whoever desires me, wishing to enjoy my fruit, attains it.

Verse 25

एवं विचार्यैव तदा महासती सत्याख्यरज्ज्वा दृढबद्धचेतना । गृहं स्वकीयं प्रविवेश सा तदा तत्तस्यभावं नियमेन वेत्तुम्

Having thus reflected, that great virtuous lady—her mind firmly bound by the rope called Truth—then entered her own house, determined to know his true state with certainty.

Verse 54

इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रेचतुःपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the fifty-fourth chapter—Sukalā’s narrative—within the Vena episode of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa of the Śrī Padma Purāṇa.