Varaha Purana 116.44 — Adhyaya 116, Shloka 44
An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering
केचिन्मूकाश्च दृश्यन्ते ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥ विद्यमाने धने केचित्कृपणाः भोगवर्जिताः ॥
kecin mūkāś ca dṛśyante tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim || vidyamāne dhane kecit kṛpaṇā bhogavarjitāḥ ||
On en voit certains muets : qu’y a-t-il de plus douloureux que cela ? Et pourtant, même lorsque la richesse est là, certains, par avarice, demeurent privés de jouissance.
Varāha (default speaker for this nīti sequence)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Recognize forms of duḥkha: physical limitation (muteness) and self-made poverty of enjoyment through miserliness despite wealth.","karmic_consequence":"Cultivating generosity and appropriate enjoyment reduces duḥkha and supports dharma; miserliness yields continued deprivation and social/spiritual stagnation."}
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":"ethics of wealth (artha) and enjoyment (bhoga)","core_concept":"Duḥkha can be fate-given (disability) or mind-made (kṛpaṇatā); the latter is curable through right attitude.","practical_application":"Practice dāna and balanced bhoga; avoid hoarding that prevents dhārmic enjoyment and sharing."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Householder conduct"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: hāsya
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 116.116.1 (duḥkha from lack of refuge and degraded conduct)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Didactic tableau contrasting a mute person (pathos) with a wealthy miser refusing to enjoy or share, illustrating different kinds of suffering.","item_prompts":["teacher figure (Varāha implied)","mute figure with closed lips/gesture","wealthy miser with locked chest/coins","beggar or guest turned away","somber domestic setting"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: narrative contrast panels, expressive hand gestures, earthy tones; miser clutching a money-chest.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate wealthy figure with gold accents yet grim face; muted figure nearby; symbolic locked chest emphasized.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined interior scene, detailed textiles, psychological realism in miser’s tight grip and averted gaze.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: gentle satire—wealthy house with sparse joy, small figures, clear storytelling, cool palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reflective, mildly satirical","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"contemplative with gentle reproach"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic nīti theme: contrasting unavoidable misfortune (such as disability) with self-caused suffering (miserliness despite resources), a motif also seen in broader Sanskrit ethical literature.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a general ethical observation.
Possessing wealth without using it meaningfully can become a self-inflicted form of deprivation; ethical living includes appropriate, non-harmful enjoyment and generosity.
Ask anything about this verse
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