Varaha Purana 6.11: Adhyaya 6, Shloka 11
The Puṇḍarīkākṣapāraka Hymn and Puṣkara Tīrtha: The Account of King Vasu’s Release from Sin
विश्वमूर्तिं महाबाहुं वरदं सर्वतेजसम् । नमामि पुण्डरीकाक्षं विद्याऽविद्यात्मकं विभुम् ॥ ६.११ ॥
viśvamūrtiṁ mahābāhuṁ varadaṁ sarvatejasam | namāmi puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ vidyā’vidyātmakaṁ vibhum || 6.11 ||
Ich verneige mich vor dem lotusäugigen, allgegenwärtigen Herrn: dessen Gestalt das Universum ist, großarmig, Spender von Gnaden, erfüllt von allem Glanz; dem Erhabenen, dessen Wesen sowohl Wissen als auch Nichtwissen umfasst.
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Continues Varāha’s instruction to Earth through the stotra, presenting a higher metaphysical description of the Lord."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The Lord as viśvamūrti (universe-bodied) aligns with Yajña-Varāha cosmology: the cosmos is the divine body; worship is recognition of that all-pervasion.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit cosmic-body mapping: all forms as His limbs; ‘sarvatejas’ as the radiance sustaining worlds; boon-giving as the yajamāna’s grace to beings.","vedantic_connection":"‘Vidyā-avidyātmaka’ echoes Upaniṣadic dialectic (knowledge/ignorance as modes within māyā/manifestation), pointing to the Lord as the ground of both empirical and liberating cognition."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Vedāntic theology within bhakti","core_concept":"The supreme Lord pervades as the universe and encompasses both vidyā and avidyā—transcending yet including the conditions of bondage and liberation.","practical_application":"Meditate during stotra on the Lord’s all-pervasion (see the world as His form) while discerning vidyā (liberating insight) from avidyā (misidentification)."}
Subject Matter: ["Theology (neutral, descriptive)","Cosmology","Philosophy (knowledge and ignorance)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: metaphysical/cosmic scope rather than local geography
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 6.6.10 (epithet-based salutations)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmic vision of the lotus-eyed Lord as the very universe—radiant, mighty-armed, boon-bestowing—suggesting that knowledge and ignorance are encompassed within His manifestation.","item_prompts":["Viśvarūpa/cosmic-body motif with galaxies/elements","lotus-eyed serene face","multiple arms or emphasized mighty arms","radiance (tejas) aura","boon-giving hand (varada-mudrā)","subtle overlay of day/night or knowledge/ignorance symbolism (light/shadow halves)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Stylized viśvarūpa with concentric cosmic motifs; strong color blocks; varada-mudrā prominent; serene lotus eyes.","tanjore_prompt":"Central deity with expansive cosmic backdrop; heavy gold for tejas; intricate jewelry; varada gesture highlighted.","mysore_prompt":"Detailed, classical viśvarūpa with soft gradients; balanced iconography; contemplative mood.","pahari_prompt":"Poetic cosmic landscape within the deity’s silhouette; delicate stars and elements; gentle, meditative palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic, contemplative praise","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"deep, resonant, with sustained vowels on key epithets"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic practice of opening or framing discourse with a stuti (praise), establishing the cosmic scope of the speaker’s authority and situating the narrative within classical Sanskrit devotional-literary conventions.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a universalizing invocation rather than a sacred-geography reference.
The verse models humility and disciplined inquiry through reverential address, and it introduces a philosophical principle: reality is portrayed as encompassing both vidyā (knowledge) and avidyā (non-knowledge), encouraging reflective engagement rather than simplistic binaries.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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.