Varaha Purana 41.17 — Adhyaya 41, Shloka 17
Rite of the Varāha Dvādaśī Vow and an Exemplary Narrative on Expiation for Brahmin-Slaying
इह लोकेऽभवद् राजा वीरधन्वेति विश्रुतः । स कदाचिद् वनं प्रायान् मृगहेतोः परंतपः ॥ ४१.१७ ॥
iha loke 'bhavad rājā vīradhanveti viśrutaḥ | sa kadācid vanaṃ prāyān mṛgahetoḥ paraṃtapaḥ || 41.17 ||
In dieser Welt gab es einen König, berühmt unter dem Namen Vīradhanvan. Einst ging jener Bezwinger der Feinde in den Wald, um Wild zu jagen.
Varāha (default dialogue frame; speaker not explicit in this fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","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":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A king’s pursuit (even hunting) must remain within dharmic restraint, especially regarding forests and protected persons/āśramas.","karmic_consequence":"Unrestrained royal sport in sacred/ascetic spaces becomes a seed for grave pāpa and future expiation."}
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":"Ethical causality (karma) in narrative form","core_concept":"Seemingly ordinary actions (like hunting) become morally charged by place, intention, and the beings affected.","practical_application":"Exercise heightened restraint in sacred/protected environments; evaluate actions by context, not merely by custom."}
Subject Matter: ["Kingship","Narrative History","Ethics","Forest Ecology (context: hunting)"]
Primary Rasa: Vira
Secondary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Type: Forest/āśrama-vana
Related Themes: 41.41.18-21 (the unintended killing and its cause narrative)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A renowned king, bow in hand, enters a dense forest on a hunt; the mood foreshadows a tragic mistake.","item_prompts":["king with bow/quiver","forest canopy","deer tracks","attendants at a distance","subtle āśrama markers (smoke from hut, waterpot)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: heroic king in profile with ornate jewelry, deep green forest layers, restrained foreshadowing through darker palette at the forest edge.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central king with gold-leaf ornaments, stylized forest motifs, minimal background but symbolic āśrama elements.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework, naturalistic forest depth, king’s poised stance suggesting controlled power.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical forest landscape, small figures, emphasis on narrative anticipation and the quiet sanctity of the woods."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Narrative-solemn with heroic undertone","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"Madhyama","voice_tone":"Steady, story-telling, slightly grave"}
FAQs
It introduces a named royal figure (Vīradhanvan) in a Purāṇic narrative sequence, a common literary method for framing ethical exempla and subsequent events through a king’s actions.
Only a general setting is given—"vana" (forest). No specific toponym is provided in this verse for secure modern identification.
The verse itself primarily sets narrative context (a king going to the forest to hunt). Any ethical evaluation (e.g., conduct of rulers, treatment of wildlife) would depend on the subsequent verses that develop consequences or guidance.
Ask anything about this verse
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