Varaha Purana 138.33: Adhyaya 138, Shloka 33
The Episode of the Khañjarīṭa Bird
and the Saukarava Tīrtha’s Merit
अथ द्वादश वर्षाणि तव जातस्य पुत्रक ॥ किमिदं चिन्तितं वत्स त्वया नारायणाश्रयम् ॥
atha dvādaśa varṣāṇi tava jātasya putraka || kim idaṃ cintitaṃ vatsa tvayā nārāyaṇāśrayam ||
“Now, child—only twelve years have passed since your birth. What is this that you have resolved upon, taking refuge in Nārāyaṇa?”
Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Indirect: Pṛthivī frames the child’s resolve as taking refuge in Nārāyaṇa, implying Varāha/Nārāyaṇa as the spiritual destination."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"anxious, protective, incredulous at the child’s premature renunciation","key_question":"Why, at only twelve years of age, have you resolved to take refuge in Nārāyaṇa (i.e., adopt a renunciant/otherworldly course)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Vaishnava refuge in Nārāyaṇa can be read as a broad theological backdrop later compatible with Mathurā/Kṛṣṇa devotion, but no direct Mathurā marker here."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"vedantic_connection":"Implicit śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) in Nārāyaṇa as the supreme support, but not expressed through Yajña-Varāha iconography."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti/śaraṇāgati ethics","core_concept":"Tension between worldly duties/affection and the impulse toward divine refuge (Nārāyaṇa-āśraya).","practical_application":"Discern timing and preparedness for renunciation; integrate devotion with responsibilities rather than acting impulsively."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: vātsalya
Type: household
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: recurring Bhū-Varāha dialogue framework (general)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mother Earth as a maternal figure questioning a young boy who is intent on taking refuge in Nārāyaṇa; intimate domestic moment charged with concern.","item_prompts":["Pṛthivī as mother (earth-toned garments, gentle but worried face)","young boy (12 years) with ascetic resolve","gesture of questioning (raised hand)","subtle Vaishnava sign (conch/disc motif in background)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: earthy palette, rounded expressive eyes; Pṛthivī-mātā in green/brown tones questioning a determined child; minimal background with Vaishnava symbols.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf halo for Nārāyaṇa implied in backdrop; ornate jewelry on Pṛthivī; child with simple cloth; rich arch frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate linework, soft shading; domestic interior; Pṛthivī’s compassionate yet anxious expression emphasized.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical hillside palette; mother and child in a simple courtyard; emphasis on emotion and gesture, with a distant temple silhouette hinting at Nārāyaṇa."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"tender, questioning, slightly urgent","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"maternal, concerned, clear diction on ‘Nārāyaṇa-āśrayam’"}
FAQs
It reflects social concerns around age, duty, and religious travel in premodern narrative literature, preserving how families negotiated renunciation and pilgrimage.
The verse alludes to Nārāyaṇa-kṣetra indirectly through ‘nārāyaṇāśraya’ (refuge in Nārāyaṇa), continuing the geographic-pilgrimage thread from the surrounding verses.
It foregrounds discernment and responsibility: major life decisions (like leaving for a sacred destination) are questioned in terms of readiness and intention.
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.