Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 59
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
तारुण्यं तस्य गेहस्य दूतिके परिकथ्यते । काष्ठसंघैश्च जीर्णत्वं बहुकालैः प्रयाति सः
tāruṇyaṃ tasya gehasya dūtike parikathyate | kāṣṭhasaṃghaiśca jīrṇatvaṃ bahukālaiḥ prayāti saḥ
اے دُوتی! اس گھر کی ‘جوانی’ یوں بیان کی جاتی ہے؛ مگر لکڑی کے ڈھانچے کی ہی ترکیب کے سبب، بہت زمانہ گزرنے پر وہ لازماً بوسیدگی کو پہنچتا ہے۔
Uncertain (context required to identify the dialogue speaker precisely)
Concept: Even what is called ‘youth’ in a structure is temporary; by its very composition it proceeds toward decay—time is inbuilt into form.
Application: Enjoy beauty without clinging; invest in what outlasts time—character, devotion, and service—while responsibly maintaining what is temporary.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-new house is shown in two moments: in the foreground it stands youthful—fresh plaster, bright motifs—while in the background the same timber framework ages, darkens, and cracks under the long march of seasons. A messenger-woman listens as a teacher gestures toward the beams, illustrating how decay is woven into the very assembly of wood.","primary_figures":["teacher/narrator figure","dūtikā (messenger-woman)","householder (optional)"],"setting":"split-scene courtyard with a ‘before and after’ depiction of the same wooden house across time, seasons indicated by falling leaves and sun paths","lighting_mood":"twilight, time-lapse ambience","color_palette":["aged umber","faded ivory","rust red","deep indigo","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: diptych composition—left panel youthful house with bright plaster and auspicious motifs, right panel aged timbers with cracks; gold leaf used to mark the passage of time as circular halos/sun-moon medallions, rich reds/greens, ornate borders, stylized figures of teacher and dūtikā with traditional jewelry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poetic time-lapse scene with delicate seasonal cues—spring blossoms vs autumn leaves—showing the same house aging; refined faces of teacher and dūtikā, cool palette with subtle browns, gentle shading and lyrical landscape.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined narrative frieze showing stages of the house—tāruṇya to jīrṇatva—teacher addressing dūtikā; natural pigments, strong red/yellow/green with indigo shadows, decorative border of repeating time motifs (sun, moon, wheel).","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular kāla-chakra motif framing the house’s lifecycle, lotus borders and floral filigree; peacocks and cows as seasonal markers, deep blue ground with gold highlights, the teacher and dūtikā placed symmetrically like a katha illustration."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["creak of old wood","distant wind","soft bell fading","long pauses (silence)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: काष्ठसंघैः + च → काष्ठसंघैश्च.
FAQs
It highlights impermanence: even what is praised as ‘new’ or ‘youthful’ (like a house) is, by its material nature, destined to age and decay over time.
“Dūtikā” indicates the verse occurs within a dialogue involving a messenger figure; without surrounding verses, the precise narrative setting is unclear, but the address marks it as direct speech within a story or instruction.
It encourages detachment and wise prioritization: do not rely on external conditions (youth, beauty, possessions) as permanent; instead, cultivate enduring virtues and spiritual aims.