Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 21
The Account of Sukalā (within the Vena Episode): Truth-Power and the Testing of a Devoted Wife
ममैव कालं प्रबलं विचिंत्यागतो हि मे कांतगुणैश्च सत्खलः । रत्यासमेतस्तु कथं च जीवेत्सत्याश्मभारेण प्रमर्दितश्च
mamaiva kālaṃ prabalaṃ viciṃtyāgato hi me kāṃtaguṇaiśca satkhalaḥ | ratyāsametastu kathaṃ ca jīvetsatyāśmabhāreṇa pramarditaśca
اپنے ہی غالب زمانہ و تقدیر کو سوچ کر وہ فریب کار مرد میرے پاس آیا، میرے دلکش اوصاف سے لبھایا ہوا۔ مگر جو رَتی (شہوت) سے جڑ گیا ہو وہ کیسے جیے—سچائی کے بھاری پتھر جیسے بوجھ تلے کچلا ہوا؟
Unclear from the single-verse excerpt (context needed to identify the narrator/speaker reliably).
Concept: Kāla may seem overpowering, but adharma driven by kāma collapses under satya; truth is a crushing, inescapable reality for deceit.
Application: Examine motives behind attraction and flattery; choose truthful conduct even when passion urges concealment—deceit eventually meets consequences.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An allegorical chamber where a deceitful man, drawn by alluring charm, staggers as an immense stone inscribed ‘SATYA’ descends, pinning his shadow. Behind him stands a serene woman embodying Truth, holding a taut rope that binds the mind, while Time looms as a vast wheel in the background.","primary_figures":["Satya-devī (allegorical Truth)","Kāla (as a cosmic wheel/figure)","Deceitful man (satkhala)","Kāma (as a subtle presence)"],"setting":"Interior of a symbolic household-court with carved pillars, a dharma-scale motif, and a distant cosmic horizon showing a turning time-wheel.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["obsidian black","stone gray","vermillion red","antique gold","lotus white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical Satya-devī seated upright with a gold-leaf halo, holding a bright red satya-rājju (rope of truth) that binds a trembling man; a massive stone tablet engraved ‘SATYA’ presses down, while a gilded Kāla-cakra (wheel of time) glows behind; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate temple arch, heavy gold leaf embellishment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a refined, sorrowful moral tableau—Truth as a dignified woman with delicate features, a thin red rope extending to the man; the ‘stone of truth’ rendered as a stylized boulder with calligraphy; soft architectural interior opening to a pale sky with a faint time-wheel; cool palette with lyrical naturalism and fine linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Satya-devī with large expressive eyes and calm face, holding a crimson rope; Kāla as a circular mandala-wheel behind; the deceitful man flattened under a gray stone marked with script; temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green dominance and rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic courtyard with lotus borders and floral vines; central motif of a stone inscribed ‘SATYA’ and a red rope; Kāla-cakra as a decorative mandala; peacocks and stylized lotuses framing the moral scene, deep blues and gold accents, intricate border patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","single bell strikes","deep silence between phrases","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विचिंत्यागतो→विचिन्त्य + आगतः; कांतगुणैश्च→कान्तगुणैः + च; रत्यासमेतस्तु→रत्या + समेतः + तु; जीवेत्सत्याश्मभारेण→जीवेत् + सत्या + अश्मभारेण.
FAQs
It contrasts deceptive desire-driven behavior with the inescapable force of truth (satya) and time/destiny (kāla), implying that falsehood ultimately collapses under truth’s weight.
Kāla is portrayed as an overpowering determinant—often read as fate or the moral order unfolding—before which cunning strategies and desire-based motives cannot ultimately stand.
A person driven by passion and deceit may appear to succeed briefly, but truth functions like an immovable weight that eventually exposes and crushes hypocrisy.