Shloka 12
The Account of Sukalā (Vena-Episode Continuation): Padmāvatī, Gobhila’s Deception, and the Threat of a Curse
पद्मावती सरस्तीरे सखीभिः सहिता तदा । जलक्रीडा समालीना हसते गायते पुनः
padmāvatī sarastīre sakhībhiḥ sahitā tadā | jalakrīḍā samālīnā hasate gāyate punaḥ
അപ്പോൾ പദ്മാവതി തടാകതീരത്ത് സഖികളോടൊപ്പം ജലക്രീഡയിൽ ലീനയായി, വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും ചിരിക്കുകയും പാടുകയും ചെയ്തു।
Narrator (contextual prose/verse narration; specific dialogue speaker not explicit in this standalone śloka)
Concept: Worldly delight is transient; scenes of pleasure in Purāṇic narrative frequently foreshadow the need for discernment and protection through dharma and devotion.
Application: Enjoy beauty and friendship without heedlessness; keep a protective devotional anchor (smaraṇa, nāma) even in leisure.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the lotus-fringed bank of a clear lake, Padmāvatī plays in the water with her companions, their laughter rippling across the surface. She sings as droplets arc like pearls, while flowering creepers and swans frame the scene, hinting at a serene world just before fate turns.","primary_figures":["Padmāvatī","sakhīs (female companions)"],"setting":"A lakeside (saras-tīra) with lotus beds, swans, flowering trees, and a gentle stone ghat partly hidden by reeds.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["lotus pink","turquoise water","sandalwood beige","emerald green","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Padmāvatī with her sakhīs at a lotus lake-bank, ornate silk garments and heavy gold jewelry, stylized rippling water with lotus clusters, swans and flowering trees; gold leaf halos and borders, rich crimson and emerald accents, gem-studded ornaments, South Indian decorative ghat architecture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate water-sport at a serene saras, Padmāvatī and friends with refined faces and translucent garments, lyrical lotus pond with swans, soft Himalayan-like greenery and distant hills, cool turquoise and pale pink palette, intricate floral margins.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Padmāvatī and sakhīs in stylized poses at a lotus pond, temple-garden atmosphere, natural pigment reds/yellows/greens, large expressive eyes, patterned textiles, rhythmic lotus motifs across the water surface.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: lotus-laden pond with ornate floral borders, Padmāvatī and sakhīs rendered in Nathdwara-inspired decorative symmetry, peacocks and swans near the water, deep indigo background with gold detailing, abundant lotus motifs and scrolling vines."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","birds","soft laughter","anklets","gentle breeze"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सरस्तीरे = सरः + तीरे (visarga sandhi); no other mandatory sandhi splits.
FAQs
It depicts Padmāvatī at the lakeside with her companions, joyfully engaged in water-play, laughing and singing repeatedly.
It uses the setting of a saras (lake) and its tīra (bank), which are common markers of sacred landscapes in Purāṇic narration, but this single verse does not name a specific tīrtha by itself.
The verse conveys a light, festive mood—companionship, recreation, and song—often used in Purāṇic storytelling to set the scene before a consequential event or teaching unfolds.