Shloka 37
The Glory of Vārāṇasī
Catalogue of Tīrthas and a Liṅga-Installation Episode
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे वाराणसीमाहात्म्ये सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः
iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe vārāṇasīmāhātmye saptatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ
かくして『シュリー・パドマ・マハープラーナ』スヴァルガ・カーンダの「ヴァーラーナシーの功徳」第37章は終わる。
Narrator/colophon (textual closure marker; not part of the dialogue)
Concept: Śravaṇa-pāṭha (hearing/reciting) of māhātmyas is itself a devotional act; textual boundaries mark ritual completeness.
Application: Conclude spiritual readings with a moment of gratitude and dedication (phala-tyāga), treating ‘ending well’ as part of practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A palm-leaf manuscript rests on a low wooden stand, its final line highlighted with red ink as a scribe places a small flower offering beside it. Behind, a quiet shrine lamp burns steadily, suggesting that the chapter’s completion is itself an offering to the sacred.","primary_figures":["scribe","reciter (paurāṇika)","listeners (small assembly)"],"setting":"Manuscript hall or temple veranda with a reading stand, inkpot, flowers, and a small lamp before a shrine niche","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ochre","ink black","leaf green","lamp-gold","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: manuscript-closure scene—scribe and paurāṇika before a small shrine, gold leaf halo around the lamp flame; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, and a highlighted colophon line as the focal sacred text-object.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor reading—delicate brushwork on palm-leaf folios, soft lamplight, calm faces; muted earth tones with a single warm glow emphasizing completion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized paurāṇika recitation tableau—bold outlines, flat pigments; manuscript stand and lamp rendered iconically; red/yellow/green palette with temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative ‘grantha-pūjā’ composition—central manuscript medallion with floral borders, bells, and lotus motifs; deep blue background with gold detailing, emphasizing sacred text as worship-object."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft bell","page rustle","brief silence","single conch note (closing)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः = सप्तत्रिंशः + अध्यायः (विसर्गः + अ → ओऽ).
FAQs
It is a colophon—a formal closing line that identifies the Purāṇa, the khaṇḍa (book/section), the topic (Vārāṇasī-māhātmya), and the chapter number.
No. It functions as a structural marker indicating the end of Adhyaya 37 rather than conveying story content or doctrine.
Because the chapter’s subject is the māhātmya (sacred greatness) of Vārāṇasī, a major tīrtha (pilgrimage center) in Purāṇic literature.