Varaha Purana 204.2 — Adhyaya 204, Shloka 2
Description of the Dispatching of Messengers (Yama’s Envoys) and Chitragupta’s Orders
दूरेऽसाविति किं कार्यं न क्षयोऽस्त्यस्य कर्मणः ॥ किं कृपां कुरुते तस्मिन् गृहाण जहि मा व्यथाः ॥
dūre 'sāv iti kiṃ kāryaṃ na kṣayo 'sty asya karmaṇaḥ || kiṃ kṛpāṃ kurute tasmin gṛhāṇa jahi mā vyathāḥ
«(Diciendo) “Está lejos”—¿de qué sirve eso? No hay agotamiento de su karma. ¿Por qué mostrarle compasión? Prendedlo; golpeadlo—no vaciléis».
Citragupta (implied by 204.1 introducing his speech; direct quote continues)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Karma does not ‘wear out’ by distance or delay; enforcement should proceed without misplaced pity when karmic liability remains.","karmic_consequence":"Inevitable experiencing of karma-phala; attempts to evade or postpone do not annul results."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-phala inevitability","core_concept":"No external circumstance (distance, delay) cancels karmic residue; compassion cannot override dharma’s accounting when adharma remains unexpiated.","practical_application":"Do not rely on postponement or concealment; undertake timely prāyaścitta and ethical reform rather than hoping consequences fade."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: otherworldly enforcement setting
Related Themes: Continuation of messenger-dispatch commands (204.3–204.4)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Citragupta issues a sharp order to messengers: do not hesitate, seize and strike the destined soul; distance is irrelevant to karma.","item_prompts":["Citragupta pointing/gesturing command","messengers with nooses/clubs (symbolic)","a distant figure representing the target soul","ledger open showing ‘karma’ entries","stern facial expressions"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic hand-gesture (mudrā) of command, Yamadūtas in rhythmic formation holding pāśa, strong reds/ochres, stylized fierce eyes.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: commanding Citragupta with gold halo, messengers with embossed weapons, dramatic symmetry, ornate arch framing the scene.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: controlled drama, expressive but elegant faces, detailed costumes, subdued background with court interior.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative immediacy, messenger figures in motion, minimal props (noose/club), crisp outlines, cool-toned background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"stern, prosecutorial","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"sharp, clipped imperatives"}
FAQs
It illustrates the narrative portrayal of moral enforcement: cosmic agents act according to karmic residue rather than personal compassion.
No geographic location is mentioned; the scene is administrative and cosmological.
The verse emphasizes inevitability of consequences: karmic results are depicted as enforceable regardless of distance or pleas for leniency.
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