Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 69
Sukalā’s Account: Ikṣvāku and Sudevā; the Boar’s Resolve and the Dharma of Battle
शूकर्युवाच । अयं राजा महारौद्रः कालरूपः समागतः । क्रीडते मृगया लुब्धो मृगान्हत्वा बहून्वने
śūkaryuvāca | ayaṃ rājā mahāraudraḥ kālarūpaḥ samāgataḥ | krīḍate mṛgayā lubdho mṛgānhatvā bahūnvane
शूकरि म्हणाली—हा राजा अत्यंत रौद्र, काळस्वरूप होऊन येथे आला आहे. क्रीडेच्या लोभाने तो वनात शिकार करीत अनेक मृगांचा वध करून रमतो.
Śūkarī
Concept: Unrestrained violence, even when socially sanctioned as ‘sport,’ aligns one with destructive Time; greed in pleasure hardens the heart and multiplies fear.
Application: Practice ahiṁsā and restraint in entertainment and power; recognize how habits normalize cruelty; choose compassion as spiritual discipline.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fierce king rides into a dark forest with hunters and hounds, arrows drawn, while terrified deer scatter and fallen animals lie in the underbrush. Above him, a subtle cosmic overlay suggests Kāla—shadowy hourglass-like aura or looming dark halo—making the hunt feel like Time itself devouring life.","primary_figures":["Śūkarī (narrating)","a fierce king (Ikṣvāku implied later)","hunters","deer and forest animals"],"setting":"dense forest with broken branches, dust, and a chaotic chase path","lighting_mood":"stormy twilight","color_palette":["blood crimson","charcoal black","bronze","mud brown","cold steel blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic royal hunt—king with bow on horseback, attendants and hounds, frightened deer, gold leaf used for royal ornaments and arrow tips, deep maroons and greens, stylized forest, a dark aureole hinting at Kāla-rūpa behind the king.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: kinetic chase through a forested valley, fine detailing on animals and foliage, cool twilight wash, the king’s figure crisp and central, subtle symbolic cloud form suggesting Time, restrained gore, emphasis on moral tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, intense expressions, patterned forest backdrop, king rendered with commanding posture and exaggerated eyes, red/yellow/green pigments with blackened twilight field, symbolic Kāla aura as a dark mandala behind.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative hunt scene framed by ornate floral borders; peacocks startled, lotus motifs ironically contrasting violence; deep blue ground with gold highlights on royal gear, stylized animals in rhythmic arrangement, moral allegory tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder rumble","hoofbeats","hunting horn","panicked animal cries","wind through trees"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शूकर्युवाच → शूकरी उवाच (स्वर-संधि); मृगान्हत्वा → मृगान् हत्वा (व्यञ्जन-संधि); बहून्वने → बहून् वने (व्यञ्जन-संधि).
FAQs
The speaker is Śūkarī, explicitly indicated by “śūkaryuvāca” (“Śūkarī said”).
“Kālarūpaḥ” portrays the king as Time-like—evoking death, inevitability, and destruction—suggesting his arrival brings fear and harm.
The verse frames hunting as greed-driven “sport” that results in needless killing, implicitly criticizing cruelty and lack of restraint in rulership.