Varaha Purana 7.29 — Adhyaya 7, Shloka 29
The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu
Gadādhara
रैभ्य उवाच । गदाधरं विबुधजनैरभिष्टुतं धृतक्ष्ममं क्षुधितजनार्त्तिनाशनम् । शिवं विशालासुरसैन्यमर्दनं नमाम्यहं हतसकलाशुभं स्मृतौ ॥ ७.२९ ॥
raibhya uvāca | gadādharaṁ vibudhajanair abhiṣṭutaṁ dhṛtakṣamam kṣudhita-janārtti-nāśanam | śivaṁ viśālā-sura-sainya-mardanaṁ namāmy ahaṁ hata-sakalāśubhaṁ smṛtau || 7.29 ||
Raibhya sprach: «Ich verneige mich vor Gadādhara, dem Keulenträger, gepriesen von den Versammlungen der Weisen und der göttlichen Wesen; dem Träger der Erde, dem Vernichter der Not der Hungernden; dem Heilvollen, der die gewaltigen Heere der Asuras zermalmt—dessen bloßes Gedenken alles Unheil tilgt.»
Raibhya
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","key_question":"What is the saving power of Hari’s remembrance? स्मृतौ—mere recollection destroys all inauspiciousness."}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Implied same tīrtha of Gadādhara’s presence (name not given in excerpt)","parikrama_context":"Stotra functions as portable ‘parikramā of speech’: devotees can ‘circle’ the deity through repeated praise even beyond the site.","krishna_connection":"Hari/Gadādhara epithets are pan-Vaiṣṇava; in Mathurā setting they naturally harmonize with later Kṛṣṇa-bhakti without explicit mention."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"nāma-smaraṇa efficacy","core_concept":"Smṛti (remembrance) of Bhagavān is intrinsically purifying—hat-sakala-aśubha—independent of external complexity.","practical_application":"Adopt regular remembrance/recitation, especially in times of hunger, fear, or social distress; pair devotion with compassionate feeding (annadāna) in the spirit of ‘kṣudhita-janārti-nāśana’."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Cosmology"]
Primary Rasa: Bhakti
Secondary Rasa: Vira
Type: tīrtha
Related Themes: 7.7.30 (expands epithets: Puruṣa, Trivikrama, Bali-hanan)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Raibhya’s stotra: Gadādhara stands radiant, praised by devas and sages; he supports the earth, relieves the hungry, crushes asura armies; remembrance dispels inauspiciousness.","item_prompts":["Gadādhara with mace","assemblies of devas/ṛṣis offering flowers","Earth personified or globe motif indicating ‘dhṛta-kṣmām’","scene of feeding/relief to hungry","asura army subdued in the background","radiant aura symbolizing purifying remembrance"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: multi-register composition—upper devas/ṛṣis praising, central Gadādhara with gadā, lower band showing hungry relieved and asuras defeated; bold colors and stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: iconic Gadādhara central with gold-leaf aura; small narrative panels around (asura-mardana, annadāna); heavy ornamentation and symmetrical devotees.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant central deity with subtle narrative vignettes in corners; emphasis on calm auspiciousness (‘śivam’) despite martial power.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: poetic battlefield softened by landscape; Gadādhara towering yet benevolent; delicate depiction of sages praising and the hungry being helped."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"exalted hymn of protection and auspiciousness","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"sonorous and emphatic on ‘mardanaṃ’, then tender on ‘kṣudhita-janārti-nāśanam’"}
FAQs
It preserves a standard Purāṇic stotra-style formula that links divine kingship to social welfare (relief of hunger) and cosmic stability (support of the earth), reflecting how Purāṇic texts integrate political-ethical ideals with mythic theology.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; its imagery is pan-cosmic (earth-support, conflict with asuras) rather than tied to a particular tīrtha or region.
The verse foregrounds an ethical ideal of alleviating human suffering—especially hunger—alongside maintaining worldly order, presenting protection and welfare as key virtues associated with the praised figure.
Ask anything about this verse
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