Varaha Purana 36.14 — Adhyaya 36, Shloka 14
Account of the Maṇija Kings and a Hymn to Govinda Leading to Liberation
व्याध्यादियुक्तः पुरुषैर्ग्रहैश्च सङ्घट्टमानं पुनरेव देव । नमोऽस्तु ते युद्धरते महात्मा जनार्दनो गोपतिरुग्रबाहुः ॥ ३६.१४ ॥
vyādhyādiyuktaḥ puruṣair grahaiś ca saṅghaṭṭamānaṃ punar eva deva | namo 'stu te yuddharate mahātmā janārdano gopatir ugrabhāhuḥ || 36.14 ||
O god—when people afflicted with illness and similar troubles, and also beset by hostile forces, are once again being struck and overwhelmed—homage be to you, the battle-engaged great-souled one: Janārdana, protector of beings, Gopati with mighty arms.
Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not stated in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","bhu_devi_state":"anxious/protective (concerned for beings under affliction)","key_question":"Implicit plea: who protects beings when struck by disease and hostile forces?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"No explicit Mathurā/Kṛṣṇa marker; Janārdana and gopati are pan-Vaiṣṇava epithets."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
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":"theology (divine protection)","core_concept":"The Lord as Janārdana with ugra-bāhu is invoked as the active defender against both bodily afflictions and external/occult adversities.","practical_application":"In times of illness, oppression, or fear, turn to protective remembrance and prayer; cultivate courage grounded in divine guardianship."}
Subject Matter: ["Protective Invocation","Ethics","Conflict and Protection"]
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: protective stutis and assurances of rakṣaṇa recur in dialogue sections
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Viṣṇu/Janārdana stands battle-ready, mighty-armed, as afflicted people and threatening forces press in; the deity’s presence repels the onslaught.","item_prompts":["Viṣṇu with powerful arms (ugra-bāhu)","protective stance (abhaya/weapon-ready)","figures suffering illness","shadowy hostile forces/grahas","aura pushing back darkness"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic but stylized warrior-protector Viṣṇu; demons/grahas as dark forms; afflicted devotees at the margins; bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heroic Viṣṇu with gold highlights on weapons and ornaments; dramatic contrast with dark adversaries; devotees below.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant martial posture, detailed textiles; subdued yet tense battlefield atmosphere; compassionate gaze toward sufferers.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative vignette—small group of sufferers, looming dark forces, Viṣṇu intervening; crisp lines, cool palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective, rousing","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"firm, energetic, emphatic on epithets"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic stotra-style address that reflects how medieval Sanskrit compilers framed divine protection in contexts of illness, social threat, and conflict, using established epithets for Viṣṇu (e.g., Janārdana, ugrabhāhu).
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it functions as a general invocation rather than a location-specific māhātmya passage.
The verse foregrounds a philosophical posture of seeking protection and order in times of affliction and danger, expressed through respectful address (namo 'stu te) rather than prescriptive social rules.
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