Varaha Purana 70.23 — Adhyaya 70, Shloka 23
Nārāyaṇa as the Sacrificial Principle, Analysis of the Three Guṇas, and the Account of Delusion-Doctrines
यद्धीनं रजसा कर्म केवलं तामसं तु यत् । तद् दुर्गतिपरं नॄणामिह लोके परत्र च ॥ ७०.२३ ॥
yaddhīnaṃ rajasā karma kevalaṃ tāmasaṃ tu yat | tad durgatiparaṃ nṝṇām iha loke paratra ca || 70.23 ||
Handlungen, denen Rajas fehlt, und solche, die rein tamasisch sind—derartiges Verhalten führt Menschen zu einem unheilvollen Geschick, in dieser Welt wie auch jenseits.
Varāha (default, instructor voice in Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
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":"None","instruction_summary":"Karma lacking proper rajas (initiative/discipline) and karma that is purely tāmasic lead humans to misfortune here and hereafter.","karmic_consequence":"Produces durgati: worldly decline (confusion, failure, disgrace) and post-mortem adverse destiny (lower births/hellish states per purāṇic idiom)."}
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":"guṇa-based moral psychology","core_concept":"Quality of action is determined by guṇas; tamas-dominant conduct drags the agent toward suffering across both visible and invisible horizons.","practical_application":"Reduce tamas (inertia, cruelty, intoxication, negligence) and cultivate disciplined rajas oriented toward sattva (order, cleanliness, study, service)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Philosophy of action (karma)","Guṇa theory"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: None
Related Themes: 70.70.22 (false ‘śāstra’); 70.70.24 (sattva as liberating)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau contrasting tamasic darkness and the consequences of degraded action, with Varāha pointing toward the higher path.","item_prompts":["split composition: dark tamas side vs clearer side","Varāha’s instructive gesture","figures stumbling in shadow (durgati)","a path leading upward symbolizing better destiny"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: two-panel moral allegory; tamas shown as smoky blacks/browns; Varāha in center as teacher; stylized consequences without gore.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate central Varāha with gold halo; side vignette of ‘durgati’ in muted tones; emphasis on moral contrast via color and gold framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant allegorical contrast; soft chiaroscuro for tamas; Varāha’s calm face; refined detailing of garments and gestures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative miniature with hillside path; left valley in dusk (tamas), right in dawn (sattva); Varāha guiding with gentle authority."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"warning with ethical clarity","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"grave, slightly intensified on ‘durgati’ phrases"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic synthesis of ethical teaching with guṇa-theory (sattva–rajas–tamas), a conceptual framework widely shared with Sāṃkhya and later Dharma-śāstra discussions on evaluating human action.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a general ethical-philosophical statement about action and its consequences.
Actions characterized by deficiency in rajas (productive engagement) or dominated by tamas (inertia/delusion) are presented as leading to adverse outcomes for humans, affecting both present life and post-mortem consequence frameworks.
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