Varaha Purana 7.17 — Adhyaya 7, Shloka 17
The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu
Gadādhara
अधीश्वरो नाम परः पिता ऽस्य कृष्णो वृत्त्या कर्मणा चापि कृष्णः । एतेन कृष्णेन हताः पुरा वै जन्मन्यनेके ऋषयः पुराणाः ॥ ७.१७ ॥
adhīśvaro nāma paraḥ pitā ’sya kṛṣṇo vṛttyā karmaṇā cāpi kṛṣṇaḥ | etena kṛṣṇena hatāḥ purā vai janmany aneke ṛṣayaḥ purāṇāḥ || 7.17 ||
Son père suprême se nomme Adhīśvara. Il est aussi appelé Kṛṣṇa par son tempérament et par ses actes. Par ce Kṛṣṇa, jadis, dans une certaine naissance, de nombreux ṛṣis anciens furent mis à mort.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit 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":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"How do names like ‘Kṛṣṇa’ function as moral/theological etymology, and what does genealogy reveal about karmic history across births?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Mathurā-maṇḍala (general)","parikrama_context":"Implicit: genealogical/theonym ‘Kṛṣṇa’ can foreshadow later Mathurā-centered Kṛṣṇa narratives, though no parikramā is stated.","krishna_connection":"Yes—‘Kṛṣṇa’ as a name tied to disposition/action; anticipates later Vaiṣṇava Kṛṣṇa theology, but here used as a moral epithet and genealogical marker."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"A name can be grounded in guṇa/karma (‘by disposition and action’), implying moral accountability across incarnations.","karmic_consequence":"Violence against ṛṣis accrues heavy demerit leading to naraka/low rebirth; moral ‘blackness’ (kṛṣṇatā) is karmically consequential."}
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":"karma-and-nāma","core_concept":"Nāma is not merely conventional; it can signify inner disposition (svabhāva) and karmic patterning.","practical_application":"Cultivate sattvic conduct so that one’s ‘name’ (reputation/identity) aligns with dharma; avoid violence toward the holy and learned."}
Subject Matter: ["Puranic Narrative","Theological Etymology","Mythic Genealogy","Incarnation Accounts"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: None
Related Themes: 7.7.18 (naraka outcome)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic disclosure: the speaker narrates a lineage—Adhīśvara as father, ‘Kṛṣṇa’ as epithet by nature and deed—while evoking a past scene of slain ancient ṛṣis.","item_prompts":["teacher-like narrator posture","genealogical ‘thread’ motif (lineage)","shadowy vignette of fallen ṛṣis in the background","contrast of ‘kṛṣṇa’ (dark) aura around the perpetrator"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: narrator in calm stance; background vignette of ṛṣis with muted sorrow; use symbolic dark halo for ‘kṛṣṇa’ disposition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central narrator with ornate frame; small inset panel showing ṛṣis; gold accents for divine genealogy, darker tones for sinful action.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined storytelling composition; subtle chiaroscuro to suggest ‘kṛṣṇa’ as moral darkness.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: miniature-style narrative with inset scenes; sages in forest setting; genealogical narration in foreground."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, explanatory, slightly ominous"}
FAQs
It illustrates a Purāṇic technique of nāma-nirukti (name-explanation) and theological genealogy, linking an epithet (Kṛṣṇa) to character (vṛtti) and deeds (karma), a common strategy in Purāṇic redaction and sectarian memory.
No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse; it is primarily concerned with naming, lineage, and a past narrative event (a prior birth/incarnation).
The verse does not present a direct prescriptive ethic; its philosophical instruction is descriptive—emphasizing that identity and reputation are framed through disposition and actions (vṛtti and karma).
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