Varaha Purana 6.22 — Adhyaya 6, Shloka 22
The Puṇḍarīkākṣapāraka Hymn and Puṣkara Tīrtha: The Account of King Vasu’s Release from Sin
स कदाचिद् भवान् वीर तुरगैः परिवारितः । अरण्यमागतो हन्तुं श्वापदानि विशेषतः ॥ ६.२२ ॥
sa kadācid bhavān vīra turagaiḥ parivāritaḥ | araṇyam āgato hantuṁ śvāpādāni viśeṣataḥ || 6.22 ||
এক সময়, হে বীর, তুমি অশ্বপরিবৃত হয়ে অরণ্যে এসেছিলে, শ্বাপদদের—বিশেষত যারা অন্যকে আক্রমণ করে—বধ করার জন্য।
Varāha
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":"How should a ruler’s forest-entry and hunting be ethically framed—protective culling versus desire-driven violence?"}
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":"A king may enter the forest with force to restrain/kill harmful predators (śvāpadāni), but the act must be governed by protection of subjects and ecological order, not sport or craving.","karmic_consequence":"Protective restraint sustains rājadharma and merit; desire-driven hunting becomes hiṃsā leading toward demerit and later expiation."}
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":"ethics of power","core_concept":"Legitimate violence is defined by intention (rakṣaṇa) and proportionality, not by capability.","practical_application":"Leaders should justify coercive action only as protection of the vulnerable and maintenance of order; audit motives before acting."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ecology","Royal Conduct"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: wilderness/royal hunting ground
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 6.6.23-26 (misdirected desire → brahmahatyā fear → prāyaścitta)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A kingly figure rides into a dense forest, encircled by mounted attendants, poised to eliminate dangerous beasts rather than hunt for sport.","item_prompts":["king with bow/spear","horses and retinue","dark forest canopy","tracks of predators","tense but disciplined posture"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal heroic king with stylized horses, dense green forest patterns, restrained palette, emphasis on dharmic authority.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: regal king with ornate attire and gilded accents, horses in procession, forest rendered as decorative backdrop.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: naturalistic forest depth, refined linework on horses and armor, calm heroic expression.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: layered Himalayan-like forest hills, delicate figures, narrative procession with emphasis on mood of vigilance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative-didactic","suggested_raga":"Ārabhi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, instructive"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif: a royal or heroic figure entering the forest with an entourage, reflecting courtly life, forest-frontier relations, and the literary framing of kingship and protection.
No specific named location is given here; the setting is generically described as araṇya (“forest”), a standard term in Sanskrit literature for wilderness/woodland beyond settled space.
The verse situates violence (hunting) within a claimed protective purpose—targeting śvāpadas (dangerous/predatory animals)—which can be read as a restrained, duty-based framing rather than indiscriminate harm.
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