Varaha Purana 21.39 — Adhyaya 21, Shloka 39
The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari–Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share
दक्ष उवाच । गृह्यन्तां द्रुतमस्त्राणि संग्रामोऽत्र विधीयताम् । एवमुक्ते तदा देवैर्विविधायुधधारिभिः । रुद्रस्यानुचरैः सार्धं महद्युद्धं प्रवर्तितम् ॥ २१.४० ॥
dakṣa uvāca | gṛhyantāṁ drutam astrāṇi saṁgrāmo 'tra vidhīyatām | evam ukte tadā devair vividhāyudha-dhāribhiḥ | rudrasyānucaraiḥ sārdhaṁ mahad yuddhaṁ pravartitam || 21.40 ||
দক্ষ ক’লে— “দ্ৰুত অস্ত্ৰ গ্ৰহণ কৰা; ইয়াত সংগ্ৰাম হ’ব দিয়া।” এই কথা হোৱাৰ লগে লগে নানাবিধ অস্ত্ৰধাৰী দেৱসকল আৰু ৰুদ্ৰৰ অনুচৰসকলৰ সৈতে মহাযুদ্ধ আৰম্ভ হ’ল।
Dakṣa
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"When dharma/ritual order is threatened, the leader commands immediate mobilization; delay in defense is itself a fault.","karmic_consequence":"Swift protection of order preserves worlds and merit; negligence enables adharma to spread and destroys sacrificial fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma of protective force (daṇḍa)","core_concept":"Daṇḍa (coercive power) is legitimate when deployed to defend sacred order and prevent sacrilege.","practical_application":"Use force only under rightful authority and clear purpose—defense of order, not personal rage; act promptly when protection is required."}
Subject Matter: ["Mythic-Historical Narrative","Conflict and Kingship","Ritual-Political Tension"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: battlefield
Related Themes: 21.21.41 (combatants listed)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Dakṣa issues a crisp command; immediately the gods, armed with diverse weapons, clash alongside Rudra’s attendants in a massive battle.","item_prompts":["Dakṣa commanding gesture","devas with bows, spears, maces, discs","Rudra’s gaṇas/attendants with fierce forms","dust and motion lines","yajña-fire in background threatened by chaos"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic battle tableau with rhythmic figure arrangement, bold reds and greens, stylized weapons, gaṇas with fierce masks, Dakṣa as commanding anchor.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heroic central figures with gold highlights on weapons and crowns, layered composition showing two forces colliding, ornate halos amid chaos.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced yet energetic battle scene, detailed armor and ornaments, expressive faces, controlled palette with emphasis on movement.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative battle with clear groupings, swirling banners, compact action, expressive gaṇas, and a visible altar at the edge to stress ritual stakes."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"martial, commanding","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast","voice_tone":"forceful, percussive diction, heightened volume on ‘saṅgrāmaḥ’ and ‘mahadyuddham’"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic conflict motif—ritual authority and divine retinues in tension—useful for comparative study across Purāṇas and related Sanskrit narrative traditions.
No specific toponym is stated in this verse; “atra” (“here”) functions as an in-scene deictic reference rather than a named site.
The verse does not present an explicit ethical maxim; it records a command that precipitates violence, serving narratively to mark escalation and the consequences of authoritative injunctions in a contested setting.
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