यावत्प्रस्यंदते नेत्रं तावत्कालं महामते । भवान्न लज्जते कस्माद्रममाणो मया सह
As long as your eye glances at me, O wise one, for that time, why do you not feel shame, remaining unmoved, together with me?
भवान्को हि समायातो निर्भयो मरणादपि । इंद्र उवाच- त्वामेवं हि प्रपश्यामि वनमध्ये समागताम्
Who are you, who has come here, fearless even of death? Indra said: I see you thus, present in the middle of the forest.
समाख्यातास्त्वया शूरा भर्तुश्च तनयाः पुनः । कथं पश्याम्यहं तावद्दर्शयस्व ममाग्रतः
You have described the heroes and again the sons of your husband; how then do I see them? Show them before me.
सुकलोवाच- सनिजसकलवर्गस्याधिपत्ये निवेश्य धृतिमतिगतिबुद्ध्य्ख्यैस्तु संन्यस्य सत्यम् । अचलसकलधर्मो नित्ययुक्तो महात्मा मदनसबलधर्मात्मा सदामां जुगोप
Sukalā said: Having entrusted the leadership of my entire group to those known for firmness, intelligence, resolve, and wisdom, and having established truth, the great soul, ever steadfast in all virtues, always devoted to righteousness, protected us all.
मामेवं परिरक्षते दमगुणैः शौचैस्तु धर्मः सदा सत्यं पश्य समागतं मम पुरः शांतिक्षमाभ्यांयुतम् । बोधश्चातिमहाबलः पृथुयशा यो मां न मुंचेत्कदा बद्धाहं दृढबंधनैः स्वगुणजैः सांनिध्यमेवं गतः
He always protects me with the qualities of self-control and purity; see truth itself, present before me, joined with peace and forgiveness. And knowledge, exceedingly powerful and widely renowned, never abandons me; I am bound by strong ties of my own virtues, thus remaining in their presence.
रक्षायुक्ताः कृताः सर्वे सत्याद्या मम सांप्रतम् । धर्मलाभादिकाः सर्वे दमबुद्धिपराक्रमाः
All those connected with protection—truth and the rest—are now with me; all those who gain righteousness, self-control, wisdom, and valor.
मामेवं हि प्ररक्षंति किं मां प्रार्थयसे बलात् । को भवान्निर्भयो भूत्वा दूत्या सार्धं समागतः
They protect me in this way—so why do you seek me by force? Who are you, who has come here, fearless, together with your messenger?
सत्यं धर्मस्तथा पुण्यं ज्ञानाद्याः प्रबलास्तथा । मम भर्तुः सहायाश्च ते मां रक्षंति वेश्मनि
Truth, righteousness, merit, and knowledge—all these are powerful; and the companions of my husband—they protect me in this house.
अहं रक्षायुता नित्यं दमशांतिपरायणा । न मां जेतुं समर्थश्च अपि साक्षाच्छचीपतिः
I am always endowed with protection, devoted to self-control and peace; not even the lord of Śacī himself is able to conquer me.
यदि वा मन्मथो वापि समागच्छति वीर्यवान् । दंशिताहं सदा सत्यं सत्यकेनैव नान्यथा
Even if Kāmadeva himself, full of vigor, should come, I am always protected by truth alone, never otherwise.
निरर्थकास्तस्य बाणा भविष्यंति न संशयः । त्वामेवं हि हनिष्यंति धर्मादयो महाभटाः
His arrows will become useless, without doubt; these great warriors—righteousness and the rest—will destroy you thus.
दूरं गच्छ पलायत्वमत्र मा तिष्ठ सांप्रतम् । वार्यमाणो यदा तिष्ठेर्भस्मीभूतो भविष्यसि
Go far away, flee from here, do not remain now; if you stay when restrained, you will be reduced to ashes.
भर्त्रा विना निरीक्षेत मम रूपं यदा भवान् । यथा दारु दहेदग्निस्तथा धक्ष्यामि नान्यथा
If you look upon my form without my husband, just as fire burns wood, so I will burn you—there is no other way.
एवं श्रुत्वा सहस्राक्षो मन्मथस्यापि सम्मुखम् । पश्य पौरुषमेतस्या युध्यस्व निजपौरुषैः
Hearing this, the thousand-eyed one stood face to face even with Kāmadeva; see his manliness—fight with your own strength.
यथागतास्तथा सर्वे महाशापभयातुराः । स्वंस्वं स्थानं महाराज इंद्राद्याः प्रययुस्तदा
Just as they had come, so all the gods, led by Indra, departed each to their own place, afflicted by the fear of a great curse.
गतेषु तेषु सर्वेषु सुकला सा पतिव्रता । स्वगृहं पुण्यसंयुक्ता पतिध्यानेन चागता
When all of them had gone, Sukalā, devoted to her husband, endowed with merit, returned to her own house, absorbed in meditation on her husband.
स्वगृहं पुण्यसंयुक्तं सर्वतीर्थमयं तदा । सर्वयज्ञमयं राजन्संप्राप्ता पतिदेवता
She reached her own house, endowed with merit, which was like all the sacred bathing places and all sacrifices, O king, the goddess devoted to her husband.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रेष्टपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-eighth chapter, the story of Sukalā, in the Vena narrative, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
विष्णुरुवाच- कृकलः सर्वतीर्थानि साधयित्वा गृहं प्रति । प्रस्थितः सार्थवाहेन महानंदसमन्वितः
Viṣṇu said: Kṛkala, having completed the pilgrimage to all the sacred places, set out for home together with the caravan leader, filled with great joy.
एवं चिंतयते नित्यं संसारः सफलो मम । तृप्ताः स्वर्गं प्रयास्यंति पितरो मम नान्यथा
Thus he constantly thought: 'My worldly life has become fruitful; my ancestors, being satisfied, will surely go to heaven—there is no doubt.'
तावत्प्रत्यक्षरूपेण बद्ध्वा तस्य पितामहान् । पुरतस्तस्य संब्रूते नहि ते पुण्यमुत्तमम्
At that moment, his grandfathers appeared before him in visible form, restrained, and addressed him directly: 'You have not attained the highest merit.'
दिव्यरूपो महाकायः कृकलं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । तव तीर्थफलं नास्ति श्रममेव वृथा कृथाः
A radiant, large-bodied figure, his ancestor, spoke to Kṛkala: 'You have not gained the fruit of the pilgrimage; your effort has been in vain.'
स्वयं संतोषमाप्नोषि नहि ते पुण्यमुत्तमम् । एवं श्रुत्वा ततो वैश्यः कृकलो दुःखपीडितः
'You yourself have found satisfaction, but you have not attained the highest merit.' Hearing this, the merchant Kṛkala was overcome with sorrow.
भवान्कः संवदस्येवं कस्माद्बद्धाः पितामहाः । केन दोषप्रभावेण तन्मेत्वं कारणं वद
He said: 'Who are you, speaking with me in this way? Why are the grandfathers bound? By the influence of what fault? Tell me the reason for this.'
कस्मात्तीर्थफलं नास्ति मम यात्रा कथं नहि । सर्वमेव समाचक्ष्व यदि जानासि संस्फुटम्
'Why do I not have the fruit of the pilgrimage? Why has my journey not succeeded? Tell me everything clearly, if you know it.'
धर्म उवाच- पूतां पुण्यतमां स्वीयां भार्यां त्यक्त्वा प्रयाति यः । तस्य पुण्यफलं सर्वं वृथा भवति नान्यथा
Dharma said: 'Whoever abandons his own pure and most virtuous wife and departs, for him all the fruit of merit is lost; it cannot be otherwise.'
धर्माचारपरां पुण्यां साधुव्रतपरायणाम् । पतिव्रतरतां भार्यां सुगुणां पुण्यवत्सलाम्
'A wife devoted to righteous conduct, virtuous, steadfast in good vows, faithful to her husband, endowed with good qualities, and devoted to merit—'
तामेवापि परित्यज्य धर्मकार्यं प्रयाति यः । वृथा तस्य कृतः सर्वो धर्मो भवति नान्यथा
'Even if one abandons such a wife and departs for a religious purpose, all his religious acts become fruitless; it cannot be otherwise.'
सर्वाचारपरा भव्या धर्मसाधनतत्परा । पतिव्रतरता नित्यं सर्वदा ज्ञानवत्सला
'A wife devoted to all proper conduct, noble, intent on the pursuit of dharma, always faithful to her husband, and ever devoted to knowledge—'
एवं गुणा भवेद्भार्या यस्य पुण्या महासती । तस्य गेहे सदा देवास्तिष्ठंति च महौजसः
'If a man has such a virtuous, supremely chaste wife, the gods of great power always dwell in his house.'