Varaha Purana 172.9 — Adhyaya 172, Shloka 9
The Harm of Destroying a Grove and the Merit of Tree-Planting as Pūrta-Dharma
स एव नित्यकालं च पृच्छति स्म तदुत्तरम् ॥ दुःखार्तस्य सुदीनस्य न जल्पन्त्यतिदुःखिताः ॥
sa eva nityakālaṃ ca pṛcchati sma taduttaram || duḥkhārtasya sudīnasya na jalpanty atiduḥkhitāḥ ||
Er fragte immer wieder nach ihrer Antwort. Doch wer von äußerstem Leid bedrängt ist, spricht nicht zu einem, der vom Kummer gequält und in erbarmungswürdigem Zustand ist.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"distressed/overwhelmed (as reflected in the women/devīs’ silence)","key_question":"What are the limits of speech under extreme grief, and how should one communicate with the deeply afflicted?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Communication ethics: do not force speech from those in acute distress; recognize silence as a symptom of suffering.","karmic_consequence":"Respecting the afflicted supports healing and truth; coercive questioning can intensify pain and create relational harm (pāpa of harshness)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of speech (vāk-dharma)","core_concept":"Extreme duḥkha constricts expression; compassion requires adjusting one’s approach to the sufferer’s capacity.","practical_application":"When someone is overwhelmed, offer presence and safety before demanding explanations; ask gently, allow time."}
Subject Matter: ["Narrative Literature","Suffering","Communication Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: dialogue scene
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 172.7.0 (initial inquiry); Varāha Purāṇa 172.8.0 (daiva explanation); Varāha Purāṇa 172.11.0 (crisis speech)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha repeatedly questions; the women/devīs avert their gaze, silent and visibly distressed, conveying that intense grief blocks speech.","item_prompts":["Varāha leaning forward in repeated inquiry","women/devīs with downcast eyes, tears, closed lips","body language of withdrawal","muted background to emphasize emotional weight"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: expressive eyes and tear motifs; Varāha’s repeated questioning shown by dynamic hand gestures; darkened palette to convey duḥkha.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: contrast between Varāha’s bright central figure and subdued, sorrowful attendants; minimal but poignant facial expressions; gold used sparingly to keep mood grave.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced facial expressions; soft, sorrowful ambience; Varāha’s persistence conveyed through posture and hand movement.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate grouping; delicate lines for tears and lowered gazes; quiet landscape that mirrors silence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"lamenting, reflective","suggested_raga":"Bhairavī","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"soft, empathetic, slightly heavy"}
FAQs
It records a literary-psychological observation common in Sanskrit narrative: profound grief can inhibit speech, shaping the pacing of dialogue.
No geographic identification is present in this verse.
It implies a compassionate awareness that intense suffering may limit a person’s ability to respond, encouraging patience in inquiry.
Ask anything about this verse
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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.