Varaha Purana 138.92: Adhyaya 138, Shloka 92
The Episode of the Khañjarīṭa Bird
and the Saukarava Tīrtha’s Merit
स कुलं तारयेत्तूर्णं दश पूर्वान्दशावरान् ॥ न पठेन्मूर्खमध्ये तु पापिष्ठे शास्त्रदूषके
sa kulaṃ tārayet tūṛṇaṃ daśa pūrvān daśāvarān || na paṭhen mūrkha-madhye tu pāpiṣṭhe śāstra-dūṣake
Er erlöst rasch seine Sippe — zehn Generationen zuvor und zehn danach. Doch man soll nicht inmitten eines Toren rezitieren, erst recht nicht vor dem höchst Sündigen, der die Śāstras verächtlich macht.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"instructed, sober (ethical caution)","key_question":"What is the proper etiquette and audience for śāstra-recitation, and what are its salvific effects on lineage?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Recitation/hearing of the sacred text can uplift one’s lineage, but one must not recite among fools or before sinful śāstra-dūṣakas (disparagers of scripture).","karmic_consequence":"Proper recitation yields kula-tāraṇa (deliverance of ten ancestors and ten descendants); improper audience risks devaluing/dishonoring śāstra and obstructing merit (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of transmission (adhikāra and saṅga)","core_concept":"Śāstra is potent and socially consequential; its transmission requires adhikāra (fit audience) and avoidance of hostile company (śāstra-nindaka).","practical_application":"Choose respectful settings for pāṭha/pravacana; cultivate satsanga; protect sacred learning from ridicule and misuse while ensuring it reaches sincere seekers."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Textual Transmission"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 138.98-99 (narrative transmission frame)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-figure (Varāha as narrator) instructs about the power of recitation to save generations, while turning away from a mocking, sinful critic of scripture.","item_prompts":["teacher seated with manuscript/palm-leaf","respectful listeners in front","a dismissive figure at the side (śāstra-dūṣaka)","ancestral line imagery (ten before/after) as symbolic silhouettes","gesture of caution/avoidance"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: didactic scene with clear moral contrast—serene listeners vs. dark-toned disparager; palm-leaf manuscript, strong outlines, restrained drama.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central teacher with gold aura, manuscript; devotees in orderly rows; sidelined critic in muted tones; symbolic ancestor chain in decorative border medallions.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant instructional court-scene; manuscript detail, subtle expressions showing reverence vs. disdain; balanced composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate teaching circle; expressive faces; critic placed at edge; ancestor symbolism as faint background silhouettes or a stylized family tree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"authoritative, admonitory"}
FAQs
It reflects manuscript-era concerns about responsible transmission: sacred or authoritative texts are to be taught in appropriate settings to preserve meaning and social function.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse.
Select a suitable audience for recitation; avoid contexts where the text will be mocked, distorted, or used irresponsibly.
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