Shloka 18
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
स्वभावेनाबलादेव संतप्ता मम मार्गणैः । पितरं मातरं दृष्ट्वा अन्यं स्वजनबांधवम्
svabhāvenābalādeva saṃtaptā mama mārgaṇaiḥ | pitaraṃ mātaraṃ dṛṣṭvā anyaṃ svajanabāṃdhavam
តាមធម្មជាតិ នាងគឺជាស្ត្រីទន់ខ្សោយ ពិតណាស់ ដោយរងទុក្ខវេទនាដោយសារព្រួញរបស់ខ្ញុំ នៅពេលឃើញឪពុក ម្តាយ និងសាច់ញាតិផ្សេងទៀតរបស់នាង...
Uncertain (context needed from surrounding verses; appears to be a first-person narrator describing a woman afflicted by his arrows).
Concept: Violence driven by passion creates suffering that radiates through family bonds; compassion and restraint are dharma’s safeguard.
Application: Before acting in anger or desire, contemplate the collateral pain to parents, kin, and community; choose restraint and prayer.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A virtuous woman, struck by unseen ‘arrows’ of torment, turns with wide, tear-filled eyes toward her father and mother, while relatives gather in helpless alarm. The ‘arrows’ are rendered as dark, intangible streaks—psychic wounds—contrasted with a faint lotus-like aura of purity around her.","primary_figures":["the afflicted virtuous woman","father","mother","kinsmen and relatives","shadowy arrows (symbolic)"],"setting":"A village home threshold or inner courtyard where family members assemble; symbolic dark streaks cut across the air.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale saffron","dusty rose","charcoal gray","cream white","soft teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central virtuous woman with delicate ornaments and a faint lotus aura, family members in expressive poses of grief, dark arrow-like streaks crossing the scene; gold leaf used for the lotus aura and jewelry, rich maroon and green textiles, ornate architectural frame.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender family tableau with refined faces, tears suggested by fine brushwork, subtle dark streaks as ‘arrows’ of torment; soft dawn sky, gentle pastel palette, lyrical naturalism in courtyard plants.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with bold outlines, the woman in warm yellow-red tones, relatives in expressive gestures, black-gray arrow motifs swirling; temple-wall composition emphasizing moral drama.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional allegory—family figures arranged around a central lotus motif representing the woman’s purity, with dark tendrils/arrows approaching; intricate floral borders, deep blue background, gold highlights on lotus and protective symbols."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft sobbing hush (implied)","distant birds","gentle temple bell","wind through courtyard"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वभावेनाबलादेव = स्वभावेन + अबला + एव; अन्यं स्वजनबांधवम्: अन्यम् qualifies स्वजनबांधवम्.
FAQs
The verse uses first-person phrasing (“mama”), but without adjacent verses the speaker cannot be identified reliably. In the Padma Purana, such narration is often embedded in a dialogue frame (e.g., Pulastya–Bhīṣma), but confirmation requires the chapter’s opening and preceding lines.
It depicts helplessness and suffering caused by the narrator’s “arrows,” and the emotional impact of seeing one’s parents and relatives—suggesting remorse, tragedy, or the karmic consequences of harmful action.
Yes: it implicitly warns that causing pain (even metaphorically, through harsh actions) leads to intense suffering and familial distress, reinforcing restraint, compassion, and accountability.