Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 8
The Account of Sukalā: Chastity Overcomes Kāma and an Indra-like Trial
लज्जितः पराङ्मुखो भूत्वा भूं पपात लवच्छदैः । फलेभ्यो हि सुपक्वेभ्यः पुष्पमंजरिसंस्कृतः
lajjitaḥ parāṅmukho bhūtvā bhūṃ papāta lavacchadaiḥ | phalebhyo hi supakvebhyaḥ puṣpamaṃjarisaṃskṛtaḥ
Honteux, il détourna le visage et tomba à terre, le corps couvert de jeunes feuilles, paré de grappes de fleurs et portant des fruits parfaitement mûrs.
Narrator (contextual speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Sandhi Resolution Notes: parāṅmukho = parāṅ + mukhaḥ; bhūṃ = bhūmim (acc. sg.); lavacchadaiḥ = lava + chadaiḥ; supakvebhyaḥ = su + pakvebhyaḥ; puṣpamaṃjarisaṃskṛtaḥ is a multi-member tatpuruṣa.
FAQs
The verse foregrounds lajja (shame): the figure averts his face and collapses, signaling remorse, embarrassment, or humbled self-awareness.
Such imagery functions as vivid Purāṇic description (alaṅkāra), portraying a transformed or ornamented state—suggesting fullness, maturation, and an outwardly visible condition.
It presents shame as a moral turning-point: when wrongdoing or pride is recognized, the appropriate response is humility and a willingness to bow down (symbolized by falling to the earth).