Varaha Purana 116.32 — Adhyaya 116, Shloka 32
An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering
अहिंसोपारतः शुद्धः स सुखायोपजायते ॥ परभार्यां सुरूपां तु दृष्ट्वा दृष्टिर्न चालयते ॥
ahiṃsopārataḥ śuddhaḥ sa sukhāyopajāyate || parabhāryāṃ surūpāṃ tu dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭir na cālyate ||
One who has desisted from violence and is pure becomes a cause of well-being. Having seen another man’s wife, even if beautiful, his gaze does not waver or stray.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Moral instruction to Bhū-devī on ahiṃsā and control of gaze/desire."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious; concerned about dharma in social life","key_question":"How do purity and non-violence translate into concrete restraint when confronted by temptation?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"One established in ahiṃsā and purity attains sukha; a disciplined person does not let the gaze waver toward another’s wife even if beautiful.","karmic_consequence":"Restraint preserves dharma, reputation, and inner peace; transgressive desire leads to adharma, social ruin, and mental agitation."}
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":"Indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint)","core_concept":"Purity is evidenced by mastery over the senses—especially sight, which triggers desire and harm.","practical_application":"Guard the gaze; avoid situations that inflame desire; cultivate respectful perception of others as protected by dharma."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Self-Control","Householder Conduct"]
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Bibhatsa
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 116.33–34 (composure, sama-darśana, ahiṃsā); Varāha Purāṇa 116.36 (mind not straying toward valuables)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teaching vignette: Varāha explains that true purity shows when one’s eyes remain steady despite seeing beauty; the emphasis is on inner control, not voyeurism.","item_prompts":["Varāha in teaching posture","Bhū-devī listening","symbolic depiction of steady gaze (eyes focused downward/neutral)","a distant, respectfully veiled female figure as a symbolic ‘parabhāryā’ (non-sensational)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dignified didactic scene; avoid explicitness—use symbolic distance and modesty; highlight Varāha’s composed eyes.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central teacher Varāha with ornate halo; minimal secondary figures; gold accents; emphasize moral gravity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: subtle expressions; restrained composition; focus on eyes and calm demeanor.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative miniature with gentle separation of figures; lyrical restraint; soft colors conveying self-control."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Admonitory yet calm","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave, controlled, instructive"}
FAQs
It expresses a Purāṇic model of virtue combining ahiṃsā with sensory restraint, illustrating how moral ideals were articulated for householders.
No geographic location is identified.
To desist from harm, cultivate purity, and practice restraint—specifically, not allowing desire to destabilize one’s conduct.
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