Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 23
Bala: The Rise and Slaying of the Dānava
and the Devas’ Restoration
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां भूमिखंडे बल । दैत्यवधोनाम त्रयोविंशोऽध्यायः
iti śrīpadmapurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāṃ bhūmikhaṃḍe bala | daityavadhonāma trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ
ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീപദ്മപുരാണത്തിലെ പഞ്ചപഞ്ചാശത്സഹസ്രസംഹിതയുടെ ഭൂമിഖണ്ഡത്തിൽ ‘ബല—ദൈത്യവധം’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള ഇരുപത്തിമൂന്നാം അധ്യായം സമാപ്തമായി।
Narratorial colophon (chapter-ending formula); no direct speaker specified
Concept: Śāstra is preserved through careful chapter demarcation and faithful recitation; endings are also ritual closures (saṅkalpa-samāpti).
Application: Treat study/recitation as a vow: begin with intention, end with gratitude and a clear stopping point; keep a disciplined reading practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A palm-leaf manuscript lies open on a low wooden desk, its final line freshly inked. A saffron-robed scribe folds his hands before a small Viṣṇu shrine, while a conch and bell rest beside the manuscript, signaling the sacred completion of a chapter.","primary_figures":["Purāṇic scribe (lekhaka)","Viṣṇu (small shrine icon)","attendant ṛṣi-listeners (silhouetted)"],"setting":"Quiet āśrama library with palm-leaf bundles, ink pot, stylus, and a lamp before a small Vaiṣṇava altar","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["burnished gold","sandalwood beige","deep vermilion","indigo ink","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a small Viṣṇu shrine with gold-leaf halo and gem-studded ornaments behind an open palm-leaf manuscript; the scribe in saffron offers añjali; rich reds and greens, ornate arch motifs, embossed gold detailing on the altar and manuscript borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate āśrama study scene with delicate brushwork; cool muted tones, fine linework on palm leaves and stylus; gentle hills in the background; refined faces of ṛṣis listening as the chapter colophon is read aloud.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat natural pigments; a lamp-lit shrine of Viṣṇu with large stylized eyes; the scribe and ṛṣis in profile; decorative floral borders framing the manuscript and conch.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotus and manuscript motifs; central vignette of a small Viṣṇu icon above an open text; deep blues and gold accents; symmetrical floral patterns and hanging temple lamps."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","page/palm-leaf rustle","lamp crackle","brief silence at closure"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एवम्+उक्त्वा → एवमुक्त्वा (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि); जगाम+असौ → जगामासौ (आगम-सन्धि/दीर्घ); गिरि+वर+उत्तमम् → गिरिवरोत्तमम् (समास/सन्धि)।
FAQs
It is a colophon—an editorial/structural closing line that marks the end of a chapter and states its title, location (Bhūmi-khaṇḍa), and the larger compilation context.
It refers to a “saṃhitā” (compiled corpus) counted as fifty-five thousand verses, a traditional way of describing the Padma Purāṇa’s overall extent.
The chapter’s theme concerns Bala and the slaying/defeat of the Daityas; the colophon itself does not narrate the event but labels the chapter’s subject.