Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 69
Sukalā’s Narrative (within the Vena Episode): Varāha, Ikṣvāku, and the Dharma of Battle
मातृदोषं प्रकाशेत स्त्रीजातः परिकथ्यते । अत्र यज्ञाश्च तीर्थाश्च अत्र देवा महौजसः
mātṛdoṣaṃ prakāśeta strījātaḥ parikathyate | atra yajñāśca tīrthāśca atra devā mahaujasaḥ
کہا جاتا ہے کہ عورت اپنی ماں کے عیب ظاہر کر دیتی ہے۔ یہاں یَجْن اور تیرتھ ہیں؛ یہاں عظیم جلال والے دیوتا بستے ہیں۔
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: A true sacred place is defined by concentrated ritual power—yajña, tīrtha, and divine presence—though the verse also reflects a social observation (or bias) about speech and familial fault-finding.
Application: Choose environments that elevate conduct—temples, satsang, pilgrimage—because place and company shape speech and mind; practice restraint from fault-finding (doṣa-prakāśana).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred kṣetra unfolds like a living mandala: multiple fire-altars blaze with orderly smoke, pilgrims move between tīrtha steps and sacrificial enclosures, and luminous devas hover subtly above the scene. In the foreground, a small domestic vignette hints at human speech and fault-finding—contrasted against the vast sanctity of the place—suggesting that the kṣetra purifies even social frictions.","primary_figures":["Vedic priests (ṛtviks)","pilgrims","radiant devas (collective presence)","a woman and elder figure (symbolic vignette, optional)"],"setting":"A large pilgrimage-sacrifice ground with yajña-kuṇḍas, tīrtha-ghāṭa steps, banners, and a central shrine.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit blended with firelight glow","color_palette":["saffron orange","smoke white","sacred ash gray","marigold yellow","night-sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand kṣetra scene with multiple yajña fires rendered in gold leaf; devas as haloed figures above; pilgrims at a tīrtha tank with ornate steps; rich reds/greens, gem-like detailing, symmetrical temple architecture; a small side vignette of human conversation to hint at doṣa-prakāśana, all framed by a gold-leaf border.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive ritual ground with delicate flames and thin smoke trails; priests in white, pilgrims in soft colors; devas suggested as faint luminous forms in the sky; refined naturalism with gentle hills/trees; subtle narrative corner showing social speech tension without caricature.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined yajña-kuṇḍas and stylized devas with large eyes; flat pigments emphasize ritual geometry; repeated motifs of lamps, conch, and banners; the tīrtha steps as rhythmic patterns; strong red/yellow/green palette.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: kṣetra as ornate tapestry—fire-altars like floral medallions, tīrtha tank bordered by lotuses; peacocks and cows along the margins; deep blue background with gold highlights; intricate borders and devotional symmetry, devas as decorative halo motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["crackling sacrificial fire","Vedic chanting","temple bells","murmur of pilgrims","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यज्ञाश्च = यज्ञाः + च; तीर्थाश्च = तीर्थाः + च; महौजसः = महत् + ओजसः (sandhi contraction).
FAQs
Here, “tīrtha” refers to a sacred ford or pilgrimage place—locations believed to facilitate spiritual crossing, purification, and merit through bathing, worship, or vows.
In Purāṇic thought, yajña (sacrificial/ritual offering) sustains cosmic order and is closely linked with devas, who are traditionally said to partake of offerings and uphold dharma.
It cautions against publicizing familial faults—especially a parent’s—since such disclosure is portrayed as blameworthy; the verse juxtaposes this with the sanctity of a place associated with ritual and divine presence.