Varaha Purana 49.10 — Adhyaya 49, Shloka 10
The Padmanābha Dvādaśī Observance, with the Eulogy of Lamp-Offering Merit
तामगस्त्यस्तथा दृष्ट्वा रूपतेजोऽन्वितां शुभाम् । सपत्न्यश्च भयात्तस्याः कुर्वन्त्यः कर्म शोभनम् । राजा तु तस्या मुदितं मुखमेवावलोकयन् ॥ ४९.१० ॥
tām agastyas tathā dṛṣṭvā rūpa-tejo'nvitāṃ śubhām | sapatnyaś ca bhayāt tasyāḥ kurvantyaḥ karma śobhanam | rājā tu tasyā muditaṃ mukham evāvalokayan || 49.10 ||
فلما رأى أگستيا (Agastya) تلك المرأة المباركة المقرونة بالجمال والضياء، أخذت ضرائرها—خوفًا منها—يؤدّين أعمالهنّ على وجهٍ حسنٍ لائق؛ أمّا الملك فكان لا ينظر إلا إلى وجهها المسرور.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A ruler’s partiality (exclusive gaze) can destabilize household equity; wise observers note how charisma and fear regulate conduct.","karmic_consequence":"Unchecked favoritism breeds resentment and adharma in the inner court; balanced governance sustains harmony and merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"psychology of power","core_concept":"Tejas attracts (king’s delight) and intimidates (co-wives’ fear); social order can be driven by desire and fear rather than virtue.","practical_application":"Leaders should cultivate equanimity; households should anchor duty in dharma, not in rivalry or intimidation."}
Subject Matter: ["Courtly Narrative","Social Ethics","Emotional Psychology"]
Primary Rasa: Śṛṅgāra
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: courtly audience hall
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 49.49.11-12 (Agastya’s praise and cosmic wonder)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Agastya beholds the radiant queen; nearby co-wives hasten to perform decorous tasks; the king stands entranced, eyes fixed on the queen’s delighted face.","item_prompts":["Agastya with ascetic staff/kamaṇḍalu","queen with luminous aura","co-wives arranging offerings/garlands","king gazing with delight","audience hall with throne and pillars"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Agastya at left with sage iconography, queen central with bright aura, king to side with fixed gaze, attendants in orderly action, saturated palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: queen and king emphasized with gold ornamentation; Agastya rendered reverentially; attendants in smaller scale; ornate throne-room details.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant court composition, subtle expressions—king’s captivated gaze, attendants’ anxious diligence, Agastya’s calm appraisal.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative court scene with gentle architecture, expressive faces, lyrical spacing; Agastya’s serene posture contrasts with courtly tension."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"courtly-dramatic","suggested_raga":"Kalyani (for splendor)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"narrative, with emphasis on ‘muditaṃ mukham’"}
FAQs
It reflects Purāṇic courtly narrative conventions—describing beauty, status dynamics among co-wives (sapatnī), and the king’s affective response—useful for studying social imagination and literary style in Purāṇic Sanskrit.
No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse fragment; it functions primarily as a character-and-court setting description.
Implicitly, the verse highlights how fear and rivalry can shape conduct (prompting outwardly “proper” behavior), while also portraying the king’s partiality—inviting reflection on fairness and self-control in social relations.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.