Varaha Purana 8.12: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 12
Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices
Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna
धर्मव्याधस्तदा कन्यां दत्वा स्वगृहमीयिवान् । सा अपि श्वशुरयोर्भर्तुः शुश्रूषणपरा अभवत् ॥ ८.१२ ॥
dharmavyādhas tadā kanyāṃ datvā svagṛham īyivān | sā ’pi śvaśurayor bhartuḥ śuśrūṣaṇaparā ’bhavat || 8.12 ||
ثم إنّ دَرْمَـڤْيَادْهَ، بعدما سلّم الفتاةَ (في الزواج)، عاد إلى بيته. وأمّا هي فصارت مواظبةً على الخدمة المخلصة لوالدي زوجها ولزوجها.
Varāha (default narrator-instructor framework; speaker not explicit in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"A newly married woman is praised for śuśrūṣā—devoted service to husband and parents-in-law—as a core element of gṛhastha-dharma.","karmic_consequence":"Such service supports household harmony and accrues puṇya/repute; neglect invites blame, conflict, and demerit (implied by later rebuke arc)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of role-dharma","core_concept":"Dharma is sustained through attentive care (śuśrūṣā) and relational responsibility, not only through ritual.","practical_application":"Cultivate respectful care for elders and spouse; treat daily service as sādhana."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Household Dharma","Social Conduct"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: gṛhastha-dharmya
Type: gṛha (domestic space)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 8.8.13 (mother-in-law’s later critique of tapas and husband-service)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"After the marriage, Dharma-vyādha departs; the bride is shown respectfully attending her husband and parents-in-law in a domestic setting.","item_prompts":["departing figure at doorway","bride with folded hands","parents-in-law seated","husband present","household implements (water pot, lamp)","calm interior scene"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: warm interior palette; bride in respectful posture offering water/food; elders seated with stylized features.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: domestic tableau with gold highlights on jewelry and lamp; emphasize auspicious household order.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined domestic realism; soft expressions, detailed utensils, gentle light from a lamp.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate family scene with lyrical lines; veranda setting, subtle landscape beyond."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"calm, instructive","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"gentle, narrative"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic-era ideal of gṛhastha (householder) ethics, emphasizing socially recognized duties within marriage and the extended household, which is useful for reconstructing norms discussed in Sanskrit narrative and dharma-oriented literature.
No geographic location is named in this verse fragment; it focuses on domestic conduct rather than sacred geography.
The verse foregrounds attentive care and service (śuśrūṣaṇa) within family life—especially toward one’s spouse and parents-in-law—as a model of disciplined household responsibility.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.