Varaha Purana 32.22: Adhyaya 32, Shloka 22
Dharma as the Bull-Form: Soma’s Transgression and the Institution of the Thirteenth Lunar Day Observance
त्वमात्मा सर्वभूतानां सतां सत्त्वस्वरूपवान् । राजसानां रजस्त्वं च तामसानां तम एव च ॥ ३२.२३ ॥
tvam ātmā sarvabhūtānāṃ satāṃ sattvasvarūpavān | rājasānāṃ rajastvaṃ ca tāmasānāṃ tama eva ca || 32.23 ||
أنت الآتمن (الذات) لجميع الكائنات؛ وفي الصالحين أنت ذو طبيعة السَتْفَا (sattva). وفي من تغلب عليهم الرَّجَس (rajas) فأنت الرَّجَسُ نفسه؛ وفي من تغلب عليهم التَّمَس (tamas) فأنت حقًّا التَّمَسُ نفسه.
Varāha (default, instructor voice in Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"dialogue","earth_interaction":"Continues instruction to Pṛthivī by mapping the Lord’s immanence as ātman and as the operative presence within the three guṇas."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious/reflective (receiving guṇa-ātman teaching)","key_question":"How can the one Supreme be the Self of all beings while appearing as sattva, rajas, and tamas in different dispositions?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Yajña-Varāha as cosmic person: the Lord is the inner self of beings and the functional principle behind guṇic differentiation—one reality expressing as multiple qualities without losing unity.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Not explicit; guṇa-triad functions as a conceptual ‘threefold band’ of prakṛti through which the one ātman is reflected in conduct and temperament.","vedantic_connection":"Sāṃkhya-influenced Purāṇic synthesis: īśvara as ātman/antaryāmin while prakṛti’s guṇas condition empirical experience; points toward guṇa-transcendence through knowledge and devotion."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"guṇa-ontology & ethics","core_concept":"The Lord is the Self of all; guṇas describe modes of manifestation in beings, not a limitation of the Supreme.","practical_application":"Cultivate sattva (purity, clarity) through diet, conduct, and worship; recognize rajas/tamas as conditions to be transformed, while maintaining compassion for all beings as sharing one ātman."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Philosophy (Guṇas and Ātman)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: jñāna (didactic)
Type: philosophical/psychocosmic
Related Themes: 32.32.22 (nothing exists apart from you); 32.32.24 (symbolic/ritualized body description that can be read through guṇa/yajña lenses)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teaching vision: the Lord as luminous inner Self behind three panels or streams labeled sattva, rajas, tamas, with different beings embodying each mode while sharing one inner light.","item_prompts":["central inner light/ātman motif","three color streams (white/gold for sattva, red for rajas, dark/blue-black for tamas)","figures representing sage/king/slothful being","Varāha/Viṣṇu as instructor with calm gaze"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: bold tri-color guṇa bands behind the Lord, stylized figures in each band, strong symmetry, sacred ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold central ātman radiance, embossed tri-band guṇa backdrop, jeweled detailing; three attendant figures in distinct hues.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: subtle gradations for guṇas, refined faces, soft glow indicating shared Self, elegant didactic composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical triptych-like background washes, delicate figures, central white glow, minimal iconographic clutter."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative instruction","suggested_raga":"Kalyāṇi (Yaman)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, analytical, with clear articulation of ‘sattva/rajas/tamas’"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic synthesis in which a supreme principle is described as immanent in beings while also being expressible through the Sāṃkhya-style guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas), illustrating cross-pollination between devotional and philosophical vocabularies.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily a doctrinal statement about the Self and the guṇas.
The verse frames moral and psychological dispositions (sattva/rajas/tamas) as meaningful categories for self-understanding, implying that ethical cultivation involves increasing sattva (clarity, balance) and reducing the dominance of rajas and tamas.
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