Varaha Purana 21.24: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 24
The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share
Pūrva Bhāga · Dakṣa-yajña Narrative (Ritual Soundscape and Āśrama Setting)
शुश्राव च तदा शब्दानृत्विजां दक्षसद्मनि । आश्रमे यज्ञिनां चोच्चैर्योगस्थैरिति कीर्तितम् ॥ २१.२५ ॥
śuśrāva ca tadā śabdān ṛtvijāṃ dakṣasadmani | āśrame yajñināṃ coccair yogasthair iti kīrtitam || 21.25 ||
shushrAva cha tadA shabdAnRRitvijAM dakShasadmani | Ashrame yaj~ninAM chochchairyogasthairiti kIrttitam || 21.25 ||
তেতিয়া তেওঁ দক্ষৰ সদনত ঋত্বিজসকলৰ শব্দ শুনিলে; আৰু যজ্ঞকাৰীসকলৰ আশ্ৰমত যোগস্থিত লোকসকলে উচ্চস্বৰে কীৰ্তন/ঘোষণা কৰিছিল।
Sandhi Notes
- शब्दानृत्विजाम् = शब्दान् + ऋत्विजाम् (न् + ऋ → नृ)
- चोच्चैः = च + उच्चैः (अ + उ → ओ)
Varāha
Attentive; the narrative turns to ritual soundscape on Earth
What ritual activity was occurring at Dakṣa’s abode and the sacrificers’ āśrama, and what was heard there?
Ritual sound (mantra) and inner steadiness (yoga-sthiti) together constitute sacred action; external rite without inner composure is incomplete.
When performing pūjā, japa, or śrāddha-like rites, maintain both correct utterance and mental steadiness; treat ritual spaces as ethically sensitive.
Yajña as the audible signature of ṛta: the world is ‘held’ by mantra, priestly function, and yogic steadiness—prefiguring the Purāṇic idea of the cosmos as sacrifice.
Sound of ṛtvij-mantras as the ‘breath’ of yajña; Dakṣa’s sadman as the ritual ‘body’ where functions (hotṛ/adhvaryu/udgātṛ/brahman) operate.
Nāda/mantra as a manifestation of brahman in ordered form; disciplined mind (yoga-stha) as prerequisite for right action (karma-yoga).
Implicit valorization of ṛtvij-pravṛtti and yajña-āśrama discipline: sacrifice is conducted with ordered recitation and yogic composure.
Upholding yajña and disciplined recitation sustains cosmic order; disruption/insult in sacrificial context precipitates conflict (seen in ensuing anger).
Varāha Purāṇa 21.21.26 (anger triggered after hearing words/sounds)
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic portrayal of Vedic-style ritual environments—priests (ṛtvij) and sacrificers (yajñin)—and preserves cultural memory of ceremonial spaces associated with the Dakṣa-yajña narrative cycle.
No explicit toponym is given here; the locus is described as “Dakṣa’s abode” (dakṣasadman), a narrative-ritual setting rather than a securely identifiable modern geographic site in this isolated verse.
The verse primarily functions descriptively; implicitly, it foregrounds disciplined ritual order and composed conduct (“yogasthaiḥ”), emphasizing regulated speech and action within communal ceremonial settings.
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