Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 57
The Tale of Sukalā: Illusion, Desire, and the Testing of a Chaste Wife
within the Vena Cycle
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रे सप्तपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne sukalācaritre saptapaṃcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ
នេះជាទីបញ្ចប់នៃជំពូកទី ៥៧ ដែលជាប្រវត្តិរបស់នាងសុកលា នៅក្នុងរឿងវេនៈ នៃភូមិខណ្ឌ ក្នុងគម្ពីរស្រីបទុមបុរាណៈ។
Narrator / colophon (textual closure line, not a dialogue utterance)
Concept: Śravaṇa/paṭhana of Purāṇic kathā is itself meritorious; formal closure signals preservation of tradition and the integrity of transmission.
Application: Conclude study with gratitude and recollection; keep notes of sources/chapters; treat spiritual learning as a disciplined practice with beginnings and endings.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A palm-leaf manuscript rests on a low wooden desk, its edges inked and tied with a red thread; beside it, a small oil lamp burns steadily. In the background, a quiet assembly of sages sits in attentive stillness, as if the chapter’s final syllables have just faded into silence.","primary_figures":["Sages (ṛṣis)","Sūta-like reciter (optional, implied)"],"setting":"Hermitage library corner with manuscripts, ink pot, stylus, and a lamp; minimalistic sacred study space.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","aged parchment beige","lac red","smoke gray","dark teak brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a stylized manuscript and lamp as central icons, ornate gold leaf borders with lotus motifs, a seated reciter and sages in symmetrical composition, rich reds and greens, jewel-like highlights emphasizing the sanctity of textual closure.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor scene with delicate lines—lamp glow on palm leaves, soft shadows, sages seated with calm expressions, muted earth tones and gentle gradients, refined minimalism conveying completion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of a seated reciter and sages, lamp flame prominent, flat pigments in ochre/red/green, decorative lotus border, temple-wall gravitas applied to the act of concluding scripture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: manuscript and lamp framed by elaborate lotus and vine borders, peacocks perched quietly, deep blue background with gold floral filigree, the ‘end of chapter’ mood rendered as devotional stillness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft lamp crackle","gentle bell","silence","distant ashram birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सप्तपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः = सप्तपञ्चाशत्तमः + अध्यायः (अः + अ → ओऽ).
FAQs
This is a colophon (chapter-ending closure line). Its purpose is bibliographic: it identifies the Purāṇa, khaṇḍa, sub-narrative (upākhyāna), topic (Sukalā-caritra), and the chapter number.
It preserves the exact textual hierarchy—Padma Purāṇa → Bhūmi-khaṇḍa → Vena-upākhyāna → Sukalā-caritra → Adhyāya 57—helping ensure reliable citation, indexing, and cross-edition alignment.
No character is speaking; it is an editorial/narratorial closure formula traditionally used to mark the end of a chapter in Purāṇic manuscripts and editions.