Varaha Purana 217.2: Adhyaya 217, Shloka 2
Eulogy of the Merits (Phalaśruti) of the Dharāṇī–Varāha Dialogue
भगवद्विश्वरूपस्य स्थाणोरप्रतिमौजसः ॥ क्रीडतो लोकनाथस्य कानने मृगरूपिणः ॥
bhagavad-viśvarūpasya sthāṇor apratimaujasaḥ || krīḍato lokanāthasya kānane mṛgarūpiṇaḥ ||
Au sujet du Bienheureux à la forme universelle — de Sthāṇu, dont la puissance est sans pareille — du Seigneur du monde qui, prenant l’apparence d’une bête, se joue dans la forêt.
Sanatkumāra (continuing narration)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The verse frames the deity as viśvarūpa (cosmic totality) and as the world-lord who assumes a mṛga-rūpa for līlā in the forest, suggesting the Purāṇic theme that the transcendent (sthāṇu/immovable absolute) freely manifests within prakṛti without being limited by it.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"No explicit Yajña-Varāha limb-mapping is stated; the imagery is instead viśvarūpa + forest-līlā in animal form.","vedantic_connection":"Implied non-duality of lordship and immanence: the unchanging (sthāṇu) appears as changing forms; līlā as a pedagogic disclosure of īśvara’s sovereignty over nature."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Theology of manifestation (līlā)","core_concept":"The cosmic Lord, though unchanging and incomparable in power, can assume embodied forms within nature for the world’s ordering and delight.","practical_application":"Cultivate reverence toward natural spaces (forests) as potential arenas of the divine; read mythic ecology as a mode of dharma-education."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ecological Narratives","Mythic Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Type: Forest/vanam (mythic setting)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: recurring viśvarūpa/avatāra-līlā framing in tīrtha and māhātmya sections (general motif)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A radiant cosmic deity suggested as viśvarūpa, yet playfully moving in a dense forest in the guise of a wild animal; the contrast of transcendence and wilderness is central.","item_prompts":["forest canopy and dappled light","a divine animal-form figure with aura","suggestion of viśvarūpa (multiple arms/heads or cosmic halo) without explicit iconographic fixity","sages or unseen narratorial presence implied"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural palette: deep greens and ochres; depict a luminous animal-form deity in a stylized forest, with a subtle viśvarūpa halo containing miniature worlds.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central divine figure in animal guise with heavy gold halo; ornate foliage borders; jewel-like highlights to indicate apratimaujas.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: delicate linework; serene cosmic radiance around the animal-form; layered forest depth with soft shading.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical forest scene with a glowing animal-form deity; cool greens and blues; minimal cosmic cues via aureole and tiny celestial attendants."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Wonder-filled and contemplative","suggested_raga":"Vasantā or Śuddha Sāraṅg (for adbhuta with clarity)","pace":"Madhyama (measured)","voice_tone":"Resonant, slightly hushed to evoke forest-līlā and cosmic awe."}
FAQs
It preserves a theological-poetic portrait combining cosmic form (viśvarūpa), supreme power, and wilderness imagery—useful for studying Purāṇic conceptions of divinity and landscape.
A forest (kānana) is mentioned generically; it signals a wilderness setting rather than a specific mapped location.
Implicitly, the verse normalizes the forest as a meaningful space of encounter and reflection, supporting a cultural valuation of non-urban landscapes.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.