Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 103
Aśokasundarī and Huṇḍa: Chastity, Karma, and the Foretold Rise of Nahuṣa
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे त्र्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne gurutīrthamāhātmye cyavanacaritre tryadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ
ଏହିପରି ଶ୍ରୀପଦ୍ମପୁରାଣର ଭୂମିଖଣ୍ଡରେ, ବେନୋପାଖ୍ୟାନାନ୍ତର୍ଗତ ଗୁରୁତୀର୍ଥ-ମାହାତ୍ମ୍ୟରେ, ଚ୍ୟବନ-ଚରିତ୍ରର ଏକଶତ ତୃତୀୟ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ ସମାପ୍ତ ହେଲା।
Narratorial colophon (chapter-ending rubric)
Concept: Colophon signals the text’s self-conscious sacred cartography: tīrtha-māhātmya and guru-reverence are vehicles of purification and narrative authority.
Application: Honor learning lineages; approach pilgrimage and sacred reading with humility and completion—finish what you begin (pāṭha-niyama).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A manuscript-like sacred ending scene: a sage-narrator closes a palm-leaf folio while, in the background, a serene tīrtha with steps and a small shrine glows at dawn. The composition feels like a seal of authenticity—text, place, and lineage bound together.","primary_figures":["Sūta-like narrator figure (symbolic)","listening ṛṣis (symbolic)","a small shrine deity emblem (Vishnu symbol)"],"setting":"Hermitage library beside a tīrtha ghat; palm-leaf manuscripts, ink pot, prayer beads","lighting_mood":"golden dawn, calm radiance","color_palette":["parchment beige","saffron gold","river jade","lotus pink","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: colophon tableau—sage closing a manuscript, Guru-tīrtha ghat and shrine behind; gold leaf on manuscript borders and shrine vimāna, rich reds/greens, jewel-like detailing, devotional serenity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet hermitage scene with palm-leaf folios, a river ghat in the distance; delicate brushwork, cool greens and blues, refined faces, lyrical dawn sky, subtle sacred geography.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: temple-wall aesthetic—narrator-sage with stylized eyes holding a manuscript, tīrtha steps and shrine rendered in flat pigments, bold outlines, auspicious red/yellow/green palette with calm symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: manuscript and tīrtha framed by lotus borders; deep blue ground with gold script-like motifs, floral vines, small Vishnu emblems (conch/lotus) repeating, celebratory yet contemplative Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","flowing water","page/leaf rustle","morning birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tryadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ → tryadhikaśatatamaḥ adhyāyaḥ (o' = aḥ + a).
FAQs
It is a colophon: a formal chapter-ending marker that identifies the text (Padma Purāṇa), the section (Bhūmi-khaṇḍa), the sub-narrative (Vena episode), the topic (Gurutīrtha-māhātmya), and the chapter number (103).
Māhātmya denotes a section praising the sacred power and religious significance of a place, deity, vow, or practice—here, the sanctity of Guru-tīrtha.
They function as internal cataloging: the colophon states the broader narrative frame (Vena-upākhyāna) and the specific embedded story (Cyavana-caritra) to help readers locate the chapter within the Purāṇa’s layered structure.