Varaha Purana 136.119 — Adhyaya 136, Shloka 119
A Sūtra-like Manual of Expiations for Ritual Transgressions
आख्यानानां महाख्यानं तपसां च परं तपः ॥ अत्राहं कीर्तयिष्यामि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो महेश्वरि ॥
ākhyānānāṁ mahākhyānaṁ tapasāṁ ca paraṁ tapaḥ || atrāhaṁ kīrtayiṣyāmi brāhmaṇebhyo maheśvari
„Dies ist die große Erzählung unter den Erzählungen und die höchste Askese unter den Askesen. Hier werde ich sie den Brāhmaṇas verkünden, o Maheśvarī.“
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha frames the forthcoming account as a supreme narrative/tapas and declares its proclamation to brāhmaṇas, within the Devī-addressed discourse."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"receptive, reverent; positioned as listener to a ‘mahākhyāna’."}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Elevates kathā (sacred narrative) itself as tapas: attentive hearing/recitation becomes a purifying act, aligning speech (vāk) and mind with dharma and the divine.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Kathā as yajña: speaker as hotṛ, audience as ṛtvij/brāhmaṇa recipients; proclamation (kīrtana) functions like oblation into the ‘fire’ of attentive minds.","vedantic_connection":"Śabda as pramāṇa: liberative knowledge and purification can arise through śravaṇa of sacred discourse; narrative becomes a vehicle for inner transformation."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"power of śravaṇa/kīrtana","core_concept":"Sacred narrative, when rightly transmitted and received, is itself a supreme austerity that purifies and elevates.","practical_application":"Participate in or host dharma-kathā with qualified reciters and attentive listening; treat hearing as disciplined practice, not entertainment."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Textual Tradition","Ritual Expiation"]
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Type: sacred audience-space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: transition into a major narrative/expiation section following 136.136.12
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha solemnly announcing a ‘mahākhyāna’ before an assembly of brāhmaṇas, with Bhū/Devī present; the atmosphere is ceremonial and anticipatory.","item_prompts":["Varāha with proclamation gesture","row of brāhmaṇas seated with sacred threads","palm-leaf manuscripts","water pot and darbha","simple dais or pavilion"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: formal sabhā composition; Varāha central with halo; brāhmaṇas in rhythmic rows; manuscript motifs; warm ceremonial palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf halo and arch; brāhmaṇas with stylized features; manuscripts and ritual vessels with gold accents; symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined assembly scene; detailed textiles and manuscripts; dignified expressions; balanced lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: courtly-satsang miniature; delicate faces; pavilion with patterned carpet; emphasis on narrative anticipation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, proclamatory","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"resonant, formal, slightly elevated"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic self-referential style: presenting a teaching as an authoritative “great narrative,” often used to frame dharma and expiation teachings for learned audiences.
No specific toponym appears in this verse; it functions as a framing statement rather than a geographic notice.
The verse emphasizes the transmission of an authoritative teaching—positioning the forthcoming content as a high-value ethical/ritual instruction suitable for learned custodians of tradition.
Ask anything about this verse
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