Varaha Purana 171.44: Adhyaya 171, Shloka 44
Śuka’s Ocean Voyage: Adverse Winds, Arrival at a Viṣṇu Shrine, and Aid from the Jaṭāyu Birds
व्रीडायुतो निमग्नोऽयं निश्चितं मकरालये ॥ पितुरस्य वयं सर्वे पुत्रवद्विचरामहे ॥
vrīḍāyuto nimagno ’yaṃ niścitaṃ makarālaye || pitur asya vayaṃ sarve putravad vicarāmahe ||
„Beschämt ist er gewiss in den Ozean hinabgesunken, die Wohnstatt der Makara. Seinem Vater gegenüber aber werden wir uns alle wie Söhne verhalten.“
Narrator (default dialogue frame: Varāha–Pṛthivī; speaker not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Even when a person is disgraced or lost (here, sunk in the ocean), one should uphold filial-style loyalty and protect the father’s honor by treating him as a revered elder.","karmic_consequence":"Upholding loyalty and reverence sustains kula-dharma and social trust; violating it leads to loss of reputation and fragmentation of kin/community bonds (apayaśas, kula-kṣaya)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of duty (dharma)","core_concept":"Dharma is maintained by steadfast relational duties (especially toward father/elder), not by fluctuating external fortune or public shame.","practical_application":"In family/community crises, preserve respect for elders and keep obligations intact; do not let disgrace justify abandonment."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Geography","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: cosmic-geographic feature (samudra)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 171 (Gokarṇa–Śuka narrative sequence; caravan/route motif continues in 171.49–53)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A narrative tableau: a figure imagined as having sunk into the dark ocean (makara-haunted waters), while a group of companions/kinsmen stand on shore or a vessel, solemnly vowing to treat his father with filial devotion.","item_prompts":["stormy or deep-blue ocean","makaras/sea-creatures suggested in waves","shoreline or boat with companions","gesture of vow (añjali or raised hand)","older father-figure implied in background or as a separate vignette"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, deep indigo sea with stylized makaras, warm ochres for figures, expressive eyes, solemn vow-gesture, minimal background architecture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central group with ornate jewelry, gold-leaf highlights on garments and wave-crests, makara motifs as decorative sea pattern, devotional solemnity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, subdued ocean gradient, refined facial expressions of shame and resolve, soft halos for revered elder implied.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style, lyrical landscape with rolling waves, small stylized makaras, intimate grouping of figures, emphasis on emotion and narrative clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, compassionate, reflective","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"vilambita (slow)","voice_tone":"grave, steady, slightly softened on words of shame and filial resolve"}
FAQs
It reflects social-ethical ideals preserved in Purāṇic literature, including collective duty toward elders when a child is lost.
The sea/ocean is referenced metaphorically as “makarālaya”; no specific coastline is named.
Care for the bereaved parent through adopted filial responsibility (putravat vicarāmahe).
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in 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.