Shloka 36
The Glory of Vārāṇasī: Madhyameśvara and the Mandākinī Rite
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे वाराणसीमाहात्म्ये षट्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः
iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe vārāṇasīmāhātmye ṣaṭtriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ
ఇట్లు శ్రీపద్మ మహాపురాణము స్వర్గఖండములోని ‘వారణాసీ-మాహాత్మ్య’ములో ముప్పై ఆరవ అధ్యాయము సమాప్తమైంది.
Narratorial colophon (chapter-ending formula; no direct speaker indicated)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A palm-leaf manuscript rests on a wooden desk beside a flickering oil lamp, the final line of the chapter written in bold, careful script: the completion of ‘Vārāṇasī-māhātmya’. In the background, faint silhouettes of Kashi temples and the Gaṅgā suggest that the text itself is a sacred bridge to the tīrtha.","primary_figures":["Scribe (lekhaka)","Palm-leaf manuscript (primary object)"],"setting":"Traditional manuscript-copying room with ink pot, stylus, lamp, and a window opening toward a distant ghāṭa skyline.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit","color_palette":["aged parchment beige","ink black","lamp gold","wood brown","night indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate manuscript and lamp as central still-life, with a gold-leaf border and a miniature Kashi skyline vignette; rich reds/greens in textile backdrop, embossed gold accents on the colophon line.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet scriptorium scene with delicate detailing of palm leaves, stylus, and lamp; soft shadows, cool night tones, distant Kashi architecture rendered lightly.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized scribe and manuscript with bold outlines, flat pigments, rhythmic decorative borders; lamp flame emphasized as a sacred focal point.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: manuscript framed by lotus and floral borders, small Kashi-ghāṭa motifs repeated as pattern; deep blue ground with gold ornamentation, textile-like intricacy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft page rustle","single bell chime","silence","distant river flow"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: षट्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः = षट्त्रिंशः + अध्यायः (अः + अ → ओऽ).
FAQs
It is a colophon marking the conclusion of Adhyaya 36, identifying the Purāṇa, the khanda (Svarga-khaṇḍa), and the section topic (Vārāṇasī-māhātmya).
No. It is primarily a structural marker used by manuscripts and editions to indicate where a chapter ends.
It signals that the chapter belongs to the sacred-geography (tīrtha-māhātmya) material focused on Vārāṇasī, helping readers locate pilgrimage-related passages within Book 3 (Svarga-khaṇḍa).