Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 75
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
तद्रसः शोषमायाति जराग्नितापशोषितः । अक्षमो जायते दूति केन रूपत्वमिष्यते
tadrasaḥ śoṣamāyāti jarāgnitāpaśoṣitaḥ | akṣamo jāyate dūti kena rūpatvamiṣyate
اس کی حیات کی رَس سوکھ جاتی ہے، بڑھاپے کی آگ کی تپش سے جھلس کر۔ اے دُوتی! جب آدمی ناتواں ہو جائے تو پھر حسن و جمال کے باقی رہنے کی امید کیسے کی جائے؟
Uncertain from single-verse context (likely a male speaker addressing a dūti, i.e., a female messenger, in a dialogue section).
Concept: Youth, vitality, and beauty are inevitably consumed by the ‘fire’ of time; therefore one should not ground identity in the perishable body.
Application: Use awareness of aging to reduce vanity and procrastination; prioritize japa, seva, and ethical living while strength remains.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dignified messenger-woman stands in a palace corridor as an elder speaks with grave clarity, pointing to a fading mirror reflection. The air feels dry like a hot wind; petals on a lotus garland crumble, symbolizing rasa (vital essence) drying under the ‘fire’ of old age.","primary_figures":["an elderly male speaker (courtly or sage-like)","dūti (female messenger)"],"setting":"royal interior with carved pillars, a mirror, and a small shrine niche with a Vishnu lamp in the background","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky umber","antique gold","ash gray","deep maroon","lamp-flame amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an elder counselor addressing a dūti in a palace hall, a small Vishnu shrine with a glowing oil lamp behind them, symbolic drying lotus garland and cracked mirror; heavy gold leaf embellishment on pillars and jewelry, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography, solemn expressions, ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet palace veranda scene with an elder speaking to a messenger woman, delicate brushwork, restrained gestures, a fading lotus garland and a small lamp before Vishnu in the corner; cool muted palette with lyrical naturalism, refined faces, distant hills hinted beyond arches.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, natural pigments; elder figure instructing a dūti, stylized flames representing jarāgni (fire of old age) curling near a lotus garland; temple-wall aesthetic, large expressive eyes, red/yellow/green palette with controlled austerity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central small Vishnu lamp and lotus motifs, with a dūti and elder at the side; intricate floral borders, drying lotus petals transitioning to fresh ones, deep blues and gold, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation emphasizing impermanence and devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","low drone (tanpura)","faint crackle of lamp flame","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तद्रसः = तत् + रसः; शोषमायाति = शोषम् + आयाति; जराग्नितापशोषितः = जरा + अग्नि + ताप + शोषितः (समास); रूपत्वमिष्यते = रूपत्वम् + इष्यते (म् + इ → मि)।
FAQs
It stresses impermanence: as old age advances, the body’s vitality dries up, and physical beauty cannot be sustained.
Jarā is portrayed as a consuming heat that burns away strength and bodily essence, emphasizing unavoidable decline.
Dūti literally means a female messenger (often in love-dialogue contexts). The exact identity is unclear without surrounding verses, but the address indicates a conversational setting.