Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 53
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
का चेयं हि समाचक्ष्व त्वां दृष्ट्वा हि विलज्जति । कथयस्व प्रसादेन का च एषा भविष्यति
kā ceyaṃ hi samācakṣva tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā hi vilajjati | kathayasva prasādena kā ca eṣā bhaviṣyati
Qui donc est cette femme ? Dis-le-moi clairement : en te voyant, elle rougit de honte. Par grâce, explique : qui est-elle, et que deviendra-t-elle ?
Unspecified (a male interlocutor addressing another person in dialogue)
Concept: Inquiry should be clear yet compassionate; understanding another’s identity and future requires prasāda-bhāva (gentle, non-threatening approach).
Application: Ask sensitive questions without accusation; create psychological safety so truth can be spoken.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A concerned man gestures toward a veiled, mendicant-like woman standing slightly apart; his brows knit with curiosity as he asks who she is. The atmosphere is charged with social delicacy—her bashfulness contrasts with his direct questioning, foreshadowing a revelation of identity and fate.","primary_figures":["Male interlocutor","Bashful woman (in disguise)","Addressee in dialogue"],"setting":"Threshold of a home or assembly space—half domestic, half public—where a visitor’s presence draws attention.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["warm ochre","smoky grey","leaf green","vermillion","soft ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a questioning noble/brāhmaṇa figure pointing gently toward a veiled mendicant woman; ornate pillars, gold leaf background, rich vermillion and green garments, expressive eyes, stylized hand gestures (mudrā), decorative arch with floral motifs, subtle tension rendered through posture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue at a doorway—man asking with open palm gesture, veiled woman shyly averting gaze; fine detailing of textiles, cool shadows, delicate facial expressions, small garden elements, restrained palette with lyrical realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: three-figure composition—questioner, listener, and veiled woman; bold outlines, warm pigments, rhythmic symmetry, temple-lamp motif at edge, narrative clarity with stylized gestures.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette framed by lotus and creeper borders; figures in ornate attire with a veiled mendicant at center, deep blue ground with gold highlights, peacocks and floral motifs emphasizing the unfolding katha."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low murmurs of an assembly","anklet chime","rustle of cloth","brief silence after the question"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चेयं = च + इयं; अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदविभागः।
FAQs
It is a direct inquiry in a dialogue: the speaker asks the addressee to identify a woman who becomes shy upon seeing him, and to explain what her future or outcome will be.
“Vilajjati” conveys bashfulness or modest embarrassment, suggesting an emotional reaction (shyness) that prompts the speaker to seek clarification rather than speculate.
The first question seeks identity (kā iyam), while the second seeks destiny or consequence (kā ca eṣā bhaviṣyati), a common Purāṇic narrative move to connect a person’s identity with their karmic or narrative outcome.