Varaha Purana 210.23: Adhyaya 210, Shloka 23
Inquiry into Moral Agency (Karma) and Practical Means for the Dissolution of Sin: the Śiśumāra Contemplation
मनसा कर्मणा वापि तपसा चरितेन वा ॥ यथा न रोहते जन्तुस्तथा त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि ॥
manasā karmaṇā vāpi tapasā caritena vā || yathā na rohate jantus tathā tvaṃ vaktum arhasi ||
Sei es durch den Geist, durch die Tat, durch Askese (tapas) oder durch Lebenswandel: wie ein Wesen nicht wieder „nachwächst“ (d. h. wie das Unheilsame nicht erneut aufkommt) — das sollst du darlegen.
Nārada (continuation of inquiry)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"By what means—mental, physical, ascetic, or behavioral—does one prevent the re-arising of unwholesome tendencies/karma (i.e., how does pāpa not ‘grow back’)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Request for a comprehensive method (mind/action/tapas/ācāra) by which sin and its recurrence are checked at the root.","karmic_consequence":"If the method is known and practiced, pāpa does not recur; if neglected, unwholesome saṃskāras reassert and bind again."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriological ethics (nivṛtti-mārga)","core_concept":"Non-recurrence of pāpa requires transformation at multiple levels: manas, karma, tapas, and ācāra (habitual conduct).","practical_application":"Audit one’s life in four domains—thought, deed, austerity, and daily conduct—and adopt corrective disciplines so that the same fault does not reappear."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Practice and discipline","Karma theory"]
Primary Rasa: jijñāsā
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: dialogue setting (unspecified)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 210.26-210.29 (Yama’s reply and theological framing; release from sins through equanimity and self-control)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-inquirer (Nārada) respectfully asks a grave ethical question in a teaching assembly, hands folded, seeking the method to prevent the return of wrongdoing.","item_prompts":["Nārada with vīṇā (resting at side)","añjali-mudrā inquiry posture","quiet hermitage/assembly hall","palm-leaf manuscript or teaching seat","attentive listeners or a throne for the respondent (Yama/teacher)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Nārada in ornate yet restrained attire, warm earthy palette, expressive eyes, seated in a stylized āśrama interior, emphasizing the solemnity of inquiry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central seated Nārada with rich textiles, subtle gold-leaf accents on ornaments and halo-like backdrop, minimal background, focus on devotional inquiry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework, soft shading, refined facial expression of earnest questioning, calm hermitage setting with muted greens and ochres.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical hillside āśrama vignette, slender figures, gentle colors, Nārada asking with humility, small details like trees and a stream to suggest contemplative mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring and contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"clear, interrogative, reverent"}
FAQs
It highlights an applied ethical orientation in Purāṇic teaching—linking doctrine to disciplines (manas, karma, tapas, caryā) discussed across Sanskrit traditions.
No geographic location is identified.
The verse asks for a practical account of preventing the recurrence of unwholesome states through mental, behavioral, and disciplinary means.
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