Varaha Purana 8.23: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 23
Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices
Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna
दृष्ट्वा व्रीहीन् सगोधूमान् धर्मव्याधो वरासनात् । उत्थाय गन्तुमारभे मतङ्गेन निवारितः ॥ ८.२३ ॥
dṛṣṭvā vrīhīn sa-godhūmān dharmavyādho varāsanāt | utthāya gantum ārabhe mataṅgena nivāritaḥ || 8.23 ||
Als Dharma-vyādha die Reiskörner zusammen mit dem Weizen sah, erhob er sich von seinem vortrefflichen Sitz und machte sich zum Gehen bereit; doch Mataṅga hielt ihn zurück.
Varāha (default narrative voice, speaker not explicit in fragment)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative strategy: ethical instruction is conveyed through exempla (model characters), here featuring the ‘dharma-vyādha’ and the sage Mataṅga, illustrating norms of conduct within story form.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse fragment; it is situational (a seated setting and an attempted departure) rather than topographical.
The verse foregrounds restraint and counsel within interpersonal conduct: even when one is ready to act (to depart), a respected interlocutor (Mataṅga) may intervene, implying the value of deliberation and guidance in ethical decision-making.
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