Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 105
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
सुबलेनापि तस्यैव नाडिका जालपंजरे । कामकंडूर्भवेद्दूति सर्वेषां प्राणिनां किल
subalenāpi tasyaiva nāḍikā jālapaṃjare | kāmakaṃḍūrbhaveddūti sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ kila
اے دُوتی، تھوڑی سی قوت سے بھی اسی جالی دار پنجرے کا وہ ننھا سا سوراخ سب جانداروں کے لیے خواہش کی کھجلی بن جاتا ہے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent; verse addresses a 'dūti'—female messenger)
Concept: Sense-desire is self-renewing like an itch; small openings in restraint become gateways for craving.
Application: Treat tempting “small allowances” as the start of a larger slide; strengthen boundaries, redirect attention to japa/namasmarana when craving arises.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lattice-like cage with a tiny opening glows like a seductive ember, symbolizing the smallest loophole in self-control. A veiled female messenger stands at the threshold, while shadowy silhouettes of beings lean toward the opening, drawn by an unseen itch of desire.","primary_figures":["dūti (female messenger)","allegorical figures of kāma (desire)","shadowed men and women (as ‘all beings’)"],"setting":"A dim palace corridor transitioning into an inner chamber; the ‘cage’ motif appears as an ornate jali window or gilded lattice screen.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit with ominous highlights","color_palette":["smoky indigo","burnished gold","deep maroon","ash gray","copper orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an ornate South Indian palace interior with a gold-leaf jali lattice screen shaped like a cage, a veiled dūti at the doorway, symbolic flames of desire curling through the tiny opening; heavy gold leaf embellishment, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, stylized architecture, devotional-moral allegory mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate palace jharokha with fine latticework, a messenger woman in soft textiles, subtle symbolic smoke drifting from a tiny opening; cool muted palette with lyrical naturalism, refined faces, gentle yet cautionary atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, a stylized lattice ‘cage’ motif, the dūti in traditional attire, swirling red-orange kāma energy near the opening; natural pigments, temple-wall aesthetic, dramatic eyes, red/yellow/green dominance with dark indigo background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition with lotus borders and intricate floral motifs; central lattice window as a symbolic ‘cage’, peacocks looking toward the glow, deep blues and gold; moral theme rendered in Nathdwara decorative richness (Krishna not central, but Vaishnava ornamental vocabulary retained)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","low drone (tanpura)","distant murmurs","lamp crackle","brief silence after key words"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुबलेनापि = सुबलेन + अपि; तस्यैव = तस्य + एव; कामकंडूर्भवेत् = कामकण्डूः + भवेत्.
FAQs
The verse directly addresses a dūti (female messenger), a common figure in Sanskrit love-poetry and moral narratives; the specific identity depends on the surrounding dialogue in Adhyaya 53.
It highlights how even a small opening or opportunity can provoke desire—suggesting that temptation can arise from the slightest access, and thus requires vigilance and restraint.
Not explicitly in this standalone line; it reads more like a general moral-psychological observation about kāma (desire). Any sectarian or devotional framing would come from the chapter’s wider narrative context.