Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
The Account of Sukalā (within the Vena Episode): Truth-Power and the Testing of a Devoted Wife
कायस्य ग्रामस्य प्रजाः प्रनष्टाः सुविक्रियाख्यं परिगृह्य कर्म । ममाधिकेनापि समं सुकांतं स ऊर्द्ध्वशोभामनयच्च कामः
kāyasya grāmasya prajāḥ pranaṣṭāḥ suvikriyākhyaṃ parigṛhya karma | mamādhikenāpi samaṃ sukāṃtaṃ sa ūrddhvaśobhāmanayacca kāmaḥ
Lorsque les gens du village de Kāya furent anéantis, il prit un métier nommé Suvikriyā. Et Kāma, bien qu’il me fût supérieur, mena aussi le beau Sukānta vers une splendeur sublime.
Unknown (context not provided; likely within a narrative dialogue of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ममाधिकेनापि = मम + अधिकेन + अपि; ऊर्द्ध्वशोभामनयच्च = ऊर्द्ध्वशोभाम् + अनयत् + च.
FAQs
Kāma is the deity of desire/attraction. Here he is described as bringing Sukānta to “ūrddhva-śobhā,” i.e., elevated prominence or splendor—suggesting desire (or its divine force) can propel someone upward in worldly standing.
The verse states that after the village’s people were ruined, Kāya “parigṛhya karma” took up an occupation named Suvikriyā, implying a pragmatic shift to a particular livelihood or practice in response to social/economic collapse.
It juxtaposes ruin (prajāḥ pranaṣṭāḥ) with adaptation (taking up a new karma) and with the rise of another person through Kāma’s influence—hinting that worldly conditions fluctuate, and that desire-driven forces can both reshape livelihoods and elevate individuals, for better or worse.