Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 1
The Account of Sukalā in the Vena Episode: The Sow, the Sons, and Royal Restraint
पंचचत्वारिंशत्तमोऽध्यायः । सुकलोवाच । अथ ते लुब्धकाः सर्वे शूकरीं प्रति जग्मिरे । शूराश्च दारुणाः प्राप्ताः पाशहस्ताश्च भीषणाः
paṃcacatvāriṃśattamo'dhyāyaḥ | sukalovāca | atha te lubdhakāḥ sarve śūkarīṃ prati jagmire | śūrāśca dāruṇāḥ prāptāḥ pāśahastāśca bhīṣaṇāḥ
Sukalā nói: Bấy giờ tất cả bọn thợ săn tham lam ấy tiến về phía con lợn nái. Chúng kéo đến—gan lì và hung bạo—đáng sợ, tay cầm những thòng lọng.
Sukala
Concept: Lobha (greed) and hiṃsā (violent intent) propel beings into fearful, binding actions symbolized by the noose.
Application: Notice how desire hardens into cruelty; interrupt the chain early (saṅkalpa → action) through compassion, japa, and restraint.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tense forest corridor where a band of hunters advances in a tight formation, their faces hard with greed and resolve. In the distance, half-hidden by reeds and sal trees, a wary sow stands poised to flee, the air thick with impending violence.","primary_figures":["hunters (lubbhakāḥ)","sow (śūkarī)"],"setting":"dense woodland with tall śāla trees, thorny underbrush, and a narrow animal trail leading to a marshy clearing","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["deep umber","moss green","smoke gray","rust red","bone white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dramatic forest pursuit scene with hunters holding coiled nooses and spears, stylized trees framing the composition; use gold leaf highlights on weapon edges and ornaments, rich maroon and emerald garments, strong frontal poses, and a small but vivid sow at the edge of the clearing; ornate border with lotus and vine motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical woodland with layered green hills and delicate foliage, hunters rendered with refined profiles and soft shading, the sow near reeds by a small pool; cool atmospheric perspective, fine brushwork on leaves, restrained but expressive faces, and a narrative diagonal movement across the page.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, earthy pigments, hunters with exaggerated eyes and dynamic stances holding pāśa-nooses, dense stylized forest patterns; dominant reds, yellows, and greens with rhythmic ornamentation and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic forest tableau where the noose motif repeats as a border pattern, lotus and creeper designs framing the scene; deep indigo background with gold detailing, peacocks perched above, and the sow depicted near a stylized water edge—devotional narrative tone despite the tension."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["dry leaves crunching","distant animal calls","low drum pulse","tense silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पञ्चचत्वारिंशत्तमोऽध्यायः = पञ्चचत्वारिंशत्तमः + अध्यायः; सुकलोवाच = सुकलः + उवाच; शूराश्च = शूराः + च; पाशहस्ताश्च = पाशहस्ताः + च
FAQs
The speaker is Sukala, narrating a scene in which a group of hunters move toward a sow, described as fierce and carrying nooses.
“Pāśa-hastāḥ” literally means “with nooses in their hands,” indicating the hunters’ intent to capture or restrain their target.
Terms like “dāruṇāḥ” (cruel/fierce) and “bhīṣaṇāḥ” (terrifying) frame the hunters’ approach as harsh and threatening, setting up a moral contrast often used in Purāṇic storytelling.