Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 54
The Deeds of Sukalā (Vena Episode): Husband as Tīrtha & Pativratā-Dharma
वरमग्निप्रवेशश्च वरं कायविनाशनम् । नारीं प्रियां परित्यज्य भर्ता याति सुनिष्ठुरः
varamagnipraveśaśca varaṃ kāyavināśanam | nārīṃ priyāṃ parityajya bhartā yāti suniṣṭhuraḥ
آگ میں داخل ہو جانا بہتر ہے؛ جسم کا فنا ہو جانا بہتر ہے—بجایے اس کے کہ ایک سخت دل شوہر اپنی پیاری بیوی کو چھوڑ کر چلا جائے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 41)
Concept: Cruelty within intimate duty (gṛhastha-dharma) is a grave adharma; religious identity cannot excuse emotional violence.
Application: Do not normalize abandonment or emotional cruelty; cultivate accountability and kindness in family life as a primary spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fierce, sorrowful woman stands before a ritual fire, not stepping in, but gesturing toward it as a metaphor for the unbearable pain of abandonment. The husband is shown turning away with a hard profile, while the fire’s tongues rise like accusations, illuminating the wife’s tear-streaked face.","primary_figures":["pativratā wife","hard-hearted husband","Agni (symbolic fire)"],"setting":"near a household yajña-kuṇḍa or cremation-ground silhouette used symbolically; minimal props to keep focus on moral drama","lighting_mood":"firelit chiaroscuro","color_palette":["flame orange","soot black","deep crimson","bronze","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central fire altar with stylized flames, the wife in dramatic pose, husband receding; gold leaf highlights on flames and ornaments, rich red-green garments, ornate arch frame with conch-disc motifs to hint Vaishnava moral oversight.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: night scene lit by fire, delicate rendering of flame glow on faces, the husband’s back turned; sparse landscape, emotional realism, subtle gradations and fine textile patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold flame motif, expressive eyes, strong outlines; the wife’s gesture toward the fire as moral indictment, saturated reds and yellows, temple-wall narrative composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: stylized fire motif integrated into floral borders; central lament scene with deep blue ground, gold vine patterns, peacocks and lotuses framing a moral allegory panel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire","sharp bell strikes","low mridangam hits","gusting wind","sudden hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अग्निप्रवेशश्च = अग्नि-प्रवेशः + च; भोगान्परित्यजेः (अगले श्लोक में) प्रकार का अनुस्वार/नकार-सन्धि; यहाँ सु-निष्ठुरः उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषण।
FAQs
It condemns the cruelty of abandoning a devoted spouse and portrays such abandonment as worse than extreme personal suffering, stressing responsibility and compassion within marriage.
Primarily it functions as a rhetorical comparison: it intensifies the moral gravity of a husband’s abandonment by saying even death-like ordeals are preferable to that heartless act.
It reinforces gṛhastha-dharma as fidelity, protection, and care for one’s spouse, warning against callous desertion and the social-spiritual harm it causes.