Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 39
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
कर्परं हि करे गृह्य भिक्षार्थमुपचक्रमे । गृहिणां द्वारदेशेषु प्रविशामि सुदुःखिता
karparaṃ hi kare gṛhya bhikṣārthamupacakrame | gṛhiṇāṃ dvāradeśeṣu praviśāmi suduḥkhitā
میں نے ہاتھ میں بھیک کا کاسہ لیا اور خیرات مانگنے کو چل پڑی؛ نہایت رنجیدہ ہو کر میں گھروں والوں کے دروازوں تک جاتی ہوں۔
Unspecified (female narrator implied by 'suduḥkhitā')
Concept: The gṛhastha’s doorway is a threshold of dharma: giving alms to the needy is a direct purifier and a test of compassion.
Application: Keep a portion of food/means reserved for charity; respond to requests with respect and discernment, not contempt.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sorrowful woman walks a sunlit lane holding a simple begging bowl, pausing at carved wooden doorways where householders glance out with mixed curiosity and indifference. Her steps trace a quiet pilgrimage through ordinary streets, turning each threshold into a moral crossroads.","primary_figures":["female beggar (narrator)","householders at doorways"],"setting":"Residential street with multiple doorways, courtyards glimpsed within, hanging garlands, and domestic lamps; subtle signs of abundance behind closed doors.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["muted ochre","smoke gray","copper brown","pale jasmine","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a row of ornate South Indian house doors with gold-leaf highlights; the beggar woman in the foreground holding a kṛpāṇa-like simple bowl (karpara), eyes pleading; rich textile patterns on householders, gem-like accents, and a devotional aura suggesting dharma at the threshold.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrow lane with delicate architecture and soft shadows; the woman’s sorrow rendered through refined facial expression; subtle narrative details—hands half-extended, doors half-open—cool palette with lyrical restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized doorframes and domestic motifs; the beggar centered, bowl prominent; bold outlines, warm pigments, and expressive eyes conveying duḥkha; rhythmic repetition of doorways as a visual mantra.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: repeated doorway arches framed by floral borders; the beggar figure as a devotional motif of humility; deep blue ground with gold and lotus accents, intricate textile patterning suggesting the moral tapestry of dāna."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft knocking","muffled household sounds","distant conch from a temple","street birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भिक्षार्थमुपचक्रमे = भिक्षार्थम् + उपचक्रमे (m+u sandhi).
FAQs
It depicts the practice of bhikṣā—seeking alms—by approaching householders’ doorways with a begging-bowl, reflecting the traditional support relationship between mendicants and gṛhasthas (householders).
In this context, karpara refers to a vessel used for collecting alms—i.e., a begging-bowl or small pot carried in the hand.
By highlighting a distressed alms-seeker approaching doors, it implicitly underscores compassion and the merit of dāna (charitable giving) as part of gṛhastha-dharma.