Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 5
The Account of Sukalā and the Greatness of Nārī-tīrtha
Wife-Assisted Śrāddha and Pitṛ-Liberation
स गार्हस्थ्यं विलोप्यैव एकाकी विचरेद्वनम् । विफलो जायते लोके तं न मन्यंति देवताः
sa gārhasthyaṃ vilopyaiva ekākī vicaredvanam | viphalo jāyate loke taṃ na manyaṃti devatāḥ
اگر کوئی شخص گِرہستھ آشرم چھوڑ کر اکیلا جنگل میں بھٹکے تو وہ دنیا میں بے ثمر ہو جاتا ہے؛ دیوتا بھی اسے عزت نہیں دیتے۔
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Renunciation that negates one’s rightful station and responsibilities becomes spiritually unproductive; the devas honor dharma-aligned life, not performative withdrawal.
Application: Before major life changes, examine motives and obligations; cultivate devotion and ethical responsibility where you are, and let renunciation arise as a mature stage rather than escapism.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone ascetic figure walks into a dense forest carrying a staff and waterpot, yet his shadow falls back toward a distant village where sacred fires and family life glow faintly. Above, subtle celestial beings turn their faces away, suggesting that mere flight from duty does not earn divine regard.","primary_figures":["a solitary would-be renunciant","subtle devas (as witnessing presences)"],"setting":"edge of a forest with a distant village and a barely visible household altar-fire; banyan and sal trees, fallen leaves, a path dividing home and wilderness","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["deep moss green","smoke gray","earth brown","muted saffron","twilight indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a solitary ascetic at the forest threshold, staff and kamandalu in hand, with a distant gṛha altar-fire and faint village silhouettes; devas in the upper register turning away in gentle admonition; gold leaf embellishment on the altar flame and divine halos, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on celestial figures, traditional South Indian iconographic framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest edge with delicate foliage, a lone wanderer on a winding path, distant village with tiny sacrificial smoke; cool greens and indigos, refined facial features, soft atmospheric perspective, subtle celestial onlookers in pale washes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the forest threshold, the solitary figure rendered with stylized anatomy, devas in the top band with expressive eyes; natural pigment palette dominated by greens, ochres, and reds; temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental borders around the moral scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—forest on one side, household altar on the other—ornate floral borders and lotus motifs; deep blues and gold; celestial witnesses above; though Krishna-centered conventions are adapted, keep Nathdwara-like intricacy and devotional ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","forest birds","distant household fire crackle","brief silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विलोप्यैव → विलोप्य + एव; विचरेद्वनम् → विचरेत् + वनम्.
FAQs
It warns that renunciation that merely abandons one’s gṛhastha responsibilities—without proper qualification and dharmic transition—becomes spiritually unproductive and socially ineffective.
Because dharma is upheld through rightly performed duties; abandoning one’s ordained obligations is portrayed as a breach of āśrama-dharma, so it is not endorsed as meritorious by the devatās.
Do not treat spirituality as escapism: progress should come through disciplined, appropriate stages of life and responsibility, rather than impulsive withdrawal from duties.