Varaha Purana 4.19: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 19
On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā
अश्वशिरा उवाच । भवन्तौ ब्राह्मणौ सिद्धौ तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषौ । कथं नारायणावावामिति वाक्यमथेरितम् ॥ ४.१९ ॥
Aśvaśirā uvāca | bhavantau brāhmaṇau siddhau tapasā dagdha-kilbiṣau | kathaṃ nārāyaṇāvāvām iti vākyam atha īritam || 4.19 ||
Aśvaśiras sprach: „Ihr beide seid vollendete Brahmanen, Siddhas; durch Askese habt ihr die Verfehlungen verbrannt. Wie kann man dann sagen: ‚Wir sind Nārāyaṇas‘?“—so wurde jene Aussage geäußert.
Aśvaśiras
FAQs
It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative device: a named speaker frames a doctrinal or identity-related question within a dialogue, using honorific address and ascetic credentials (tapas) to establish authority and context.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it focuses on interlocutors’ status (siddha brāhmaṇas) and the semantic question surrounding the title “Nārāyaṇa.”
The verse foregrounds the ethical-ascetic ideal that austerity (tapas) purifies moral faults (kilbiṣa), while also prompting reflection on the appropriate use and meaning of revered titles.
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