Varaha Purana 8.43 — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 43
Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices
Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna
दामोदरं रञ्जितभूतलं धिया यशोऽंशुशुभ्रं भ्रमराङ्गसप्रभम् । धराधरं नरकरिपुं पुरुष्टुतं नमामि विष्णुं शरणं जनार्दनम् ॥ ८.४३ ॥
dāmodaraṁ rañjitabhūtalaṁ dhiyā yaśo’ṁśuśubhraṁ bhramarāṅgasaprabham | dharādharaṁ narakaripuṁ puruṣṭutaṁ namāmi viṣṇuṁ śaraṇaṁ janārdanam || 8.43 ||
Ich verneige mich vor Viṣṇu—Janārdana, der Zuflucht—vor Dāmodara, der durch seinen Willen die Erde erfreute; dessen Ruhm wie ein Lichtstrahl erglänzt; dessen Leib dunkel schimmert wie eine Biene; dem Träger der Erde; dem Feind Narakas; und dem von Menschen Gepriesenen.
Varāha (default, speaker not explicit in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"earth_interaction":"None (praise of Viṣṇu as earth-gladdener and earth-upholder)."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"receptive listener"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Dāmodara epithet can resonate with later Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, but here functions as a general Viṣṇu name without Mathurā localization."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti and cosmic order","core_concept":"The Lord’s intention (dhī) brings joy to the world; his fame (yaśas) is purifying light; he sustains Earth and removes adharma (asura forces).","practical_application":"Remember Viṣṇu as sustainer in ecological/ethical anxiety; practice kīrtana (praise) as a stabilizing discipline."}
Subject Matter: ["Vaishnava Theology","Praise Poetry (Stuti)","Cosmic Kingship","Earth-Support Motif"]
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Related Themes: Continuation of the same stotra praising Viṣṇu’s sustaining role
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Viṣṇu/Janārdana as dark-lustrous (bee-like) divine figure, radiating fame like a bright beam, supporting Earth and vanquishing Naraka.","item_prompts":["dark-blue/black complexion with glossy sheen","beam-like aura or rays labeled as ‘yaśas’ conceptually","Earth globe or Bhū-devī supported/steadied","asura Naraka subdued","devotees praising (puruṣṭuta)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Janārdana with deep indigo body, luminous halo-radiance, Bhū-devī near his feet or supported, Naraka shown as subdued asura, rhythmic ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Viṣṇu with gold-leaf aura, Bhū-devī and subdued Naraka at lower register, devotees in side panels, rich ornamentation.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined portrait of Viṣṇu with subtle sheen, soft radiance for ‘yaśo’ beam, Earth-support motif rendered symbolically (lotus-throne over globe).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative scene with devotees singing, Viṣṇu dark and radiant, Earth personified as gentle goddess, Naraka as a small defeated figure in corner."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"warm devotional praise","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"melodic, affectionate, steady emphasis on epithets"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic stuti-style formula in which Viṣṇu is praised through a sequence of epithets (nāma-saṅgraha), reflecting the broader Sanskrit hymn tradition used for recitation, memory, and doctrinal summarization.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the reference is cosmological and symbolic, emphasizing Viṣṇu as “earth-bearer” (dharādhara).
The verse foregrounds refuge-taking and reverential speech as a disciplined practice—presented here as a cultural-philosophical act of aligning the mind (dhī) with an ideal of protective stewardship (supporting the earth).
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in 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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.