Varaha Purana 155.49 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 49
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
तेन सत्येन मां भुङ्क्ष्व ब्रह्मराक्षस दारुण ॥ वणिजस्तु वचः श्रुत्वा ततोऽसौ ब्रह्मराक्षसः
tena satyena māṃ bhuṅkṣva brahmarākṣasa dāruṇa || vaṇijas tu vacaḥ śrutvā tato 'sau brahmarākṣasaḥ
Bei dieser Wahrheit, verschlinge mich, o schrecklicher brahma-rākṣasa. Dann, als der Kaufmanns Worte vernommen waren, antwortete jener brahma-rākṣasa und handelte weiter.
Sudhana (first pāda); Narrator (second pāda)
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":"observer","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":"None","instruction_summary":"One who stands by truth even to the point of offering oneself demonstrates dharma’s supremacy over bodily fear.","karmic_consequence":"Such satya-niṣṭhā generates extraordinary puṇya and can transform even a hostile being’s response (narrative consequence)."}
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 under duress; integrity as spiritual capital","core_concept":"Truthfulness becomes a force that reorders the moral field—fear yields to dharma when one’s inner alignment is complete.","practical_application":"In ethical dilemmas, prioritize integrity over self-preservation; let speech and action be congruent."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Narrative Literature","Soteriology (Liberation Motifs)"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155.54 (truth-claim); Varāha Purāṇa 155.56 (rākṣasa’s approval)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Sudhana, invoking his truth, offers himself to be devoured; the brahma-rākṣasa pauses, listening—tension turning toward reversal.","item_prompts":["merchant offering posture (open chest/arms)","brahma-rākṣasa halted mid-motion","dramatic pause","shadowed environment","focus on mouths/teeth vs calm eyes"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic but frozen moment—rākṣasa’s aggressive stance arrested; Sudhana’s calm mudrā; high-contrast colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: emphasize the climactic pause with ornate framing; gold highlights on Sudhana’s ‘satya’ aura; demon’s features bold and stylized.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced expressions—rākṣasa shifting from rage to surprise; Sudhana unwavering; soft gradients.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative vignette with expressive gesture; minimal background; strong storytelling through posture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Tense, climactic, then expectant","suggested_raga":"Shubhapantuvarali","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"intense on the challenge, then slightly suspended at the narrative turn"}
FAQs
The brahma-rākṣasa figure is a widely attested narrative type in Sanskrit literature, used to discuss moral transgression, restitution, and the possibility of transformation.
No location is specified in this verse.
Truth is invoked as a binding moral force; the speaker frames personal integrity as stronger than fear or coercion.
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