Varaha Purana 113.3 — Adhyaya 113, Shloka 3
Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry
Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue
दंष्ट्राग्रेणोद्धृता गोरोदधिपरिवृता पर्वतैर्निम्नगाभिर्भक्तानां भीतिहानौ सुरनरकदशास्यान्तकः क्रोडरूपी ॥ विष्णुः सर्वेश्वरोऽयं यमिह हतमला लीलया प्राप्नुवन्ति त्यक्तात्मानो न पापे प्रभु भवतु मुदितारातिपक्षक्षितीशम् ॥
daṃṣṭrāgreṇoddhṛtā gorodadhi-parivṛtā parvatair nimnagābhir bhaktānāṃ bhīti-hānau sura-naraka-daśāsyāntakaḥ kroḍa-rūpī || viṣṇuḥ sarveśvaro 'yaṃ yam iha hata-malā līlayā prāpnuvanti tyaktātmāno na pāpe prabhu bhavatu muditārāti-pakṣa-kṣitīśam ||
Soulevée sur la pointe de sa défense—entourée par l’océan de lait, avec montagnes et rivières—(se manifeste) le Seigneur en forme de sanglier, destructeur du Décaface (Rāvaṇa), dissipateur de la crainte des dévots, se mouvant parmi dieux, hommes et mondes infernaux. Ce Viṣṇu, Seigneur de tout—que les purifiés atteignent ici comme grâce de sa līlā—que le Maître soit puissant contre le péché pour ceux qui ont renoncé à l’égocentrisme ; qu’il réjouisse les souverains de la terre en apaisant l’inimitié et en réconciliant les partis adverses.
Narrator (stuti voice; not explicitly attributed)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"cosmic_power","boar_form_detail":"Earth raised on the tip of the tusk (daṃṣṭrāgreṇa); boar-form (kroḍa-rūpī) moving through gods, humans, and netherworlds","earth_interaction":"He bears/raises the Earth upon his tusk; the cosmos (oceans, mountains, rivers) is envisioned around that uplifted Earth."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"protected (implied)"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A king’s welfare depends on pacification of hostile factions and removal of fear/sin through alignment with dharma and devotion to the Lord who is ‘bhītihā’ (fear-destroyer).","karmic_consequence":"Following dharma-aligned kingship and devotion yields stability, fearlessness, and ‘mudita’ (gladdened) realms; neglect fosters factionalism, fear, and moral taint."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The tusk-lift motif makes Varāha the cosmic support (ādhāra) and purifier: devotees ‘hata-mala’ attain him by līlā—grace that cleanses inner impurity when ego is relinquished (tyaktātman).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit yajña-cosmos: oceans, mountains, rivers encircling the uplifted Earth suggest the world as a sacrificial field upheld by the Lord; the tusk functions like a cosmic lever/pillar sustaining order.","vedantic_connection":"Ego-abandonment (tyaktātman) as the condition for pāpa-kṣaya and īśvara-prāpti: bhakti and vairāgya converge—purification enables realization/attainment of the Lord."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics and soteriology","core_concept":"Fearlessness and purity arise from surrender beyond ego; divine grace (līlā) purifies and stabilizes both the inner kingdom (mind) and outer kingdom (state).","practical_application":"Practice tyāga of self-centeredness (ahaṅkāra), cultivate devotion, and for leaders: prioritize reconciliation and dharma to reduce social ‘arāti’ (enmity)."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Kingship"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: cosmic geography
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa themes of bhaya-nivṛtti (fear-removal) and dharmic rulership
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand cosmic Varāha: Earth poised on his tusk-tip, ringed by oceans; mountains and rivers visible; he strides through the three realms, dispelling devotees’ fear and subduing demonic hostility; kings rejoice as enmity is pacified.","item_prompts":["Varāha with prominent tusk bearing Earth","milk-ocean ring (kṣīroda)","miniature mountains and rivers on Earth","tiers of devas, humans, nāgas/asuras","gesture of protection (abhaya)","symbolic ‘fear’ dissolving (dark forms retreating)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Monumental Varāha with emphatic tusk and layered cosmic registers; devas above, humans mid, nāgas below; strong reds/greens; protective abhaya-mudrā feel.","tanjore_prompt":"Gold-heavy central Varāha; Earth as gem-studded sphere on tusk; ornate borders; subdued demon figures; kings at bottom with folded hands; rich gold relief.","mysore_prompt":"Balanced composition with refined ornament; detailed rivers/mountains on Earth; soft luminous aura; subtle narrative of fear dispelled.","pahari_prompt":"Narrative miniature with multiple vignettes: devotees relieved, kings reconciled; Varāha central; delicate landscape detailing and cool tonal gradations."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"vīra-bhakti with śānta resolution","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"firm, commanding, protective"}
FAQs
It combines cosmological imagery (Earth-lifting, cosmic ocean) with later mythic epithet (daśāsya), illustrating how Purāṇic layers interweave devotional praise, cosmography, and ethical-kingship ideals.
No single historical location is specified; the imagery is cosmological (milk ocean, mountains, rivers) rather than a named pilgrimage site.
Purification and renunciation of ego are linked with freedom from moral fault; leadership is ideally oriented toward pacification of hostility and protection of the world.
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