Varaha Purana 3.10: Adhyaya 3, Shloka 10
Nārada’s Account of a Former Birth and a Hymn to Nārāyaṇa
प्रियव्रत उवाच । कीदृशं ब्रह्मपारं तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि सत्तम । कथयस्व प्रसादेन देवर्षे सुप्रसन्नधीः ॥ ३.१० ॥
priyavrata uvāca | kīdṛśaṃ brahmapāraṃ tu śrotum icchāmi sattama | kathayasva prasādena devarṣe suprasannadhīḥ || 3.10 ||
પ્રિયવ્રત બોલ્યા—હે સત્તમ, બ્રહ્મના પરમ પારનું સ્વરૂપ હું સાંભળવા ઇચ્છું છું. હે દેવર્ષિ, કૃપા કરીને, પૂર્ણ શાંત બુદ્ધિથી કહો.
Priyavrata
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"What is the ‘brahma-pāra’—the ultimate purport/farther shore of brahman—and how is it to be understood?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Model dialogue-ethics: inquire respectfully, address the teacher as sādhu/sattama, and request instruction with humility and composure.","karmic_consequence":"Humble inquiry attracts teaching and clarity; arrogant questioning obstructs understanding and yields little fruit from instruction."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"epistemology (śravaṇa–praśna)","core_concept":"Right knowledge begins with disciplined inquiry—seeking the ‘far shore’ (pāra) of brahman through a qualified teacher and a serene mind.","practical_application":"Approach study with humility; formulate a single, fundamental question; listen fully before debating; cultivate prasanna-dhī (clear, non-reactive intellect)."}
Subject Matter: ["Philosophy","Epistemology (Inquiry and Instruction)","Ethics (Ideal conduct in dialogue)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: sabha / narrative frame
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: transition points where a king’s question prompts a stotra or teaching by a sage
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king (Priyavrata) seated respectfully, hands folded, asking a serene sage to explain the ultimate brahman-teaching.","item_prompts":["kingly attire with restrained humility","sage with calm face","assembly setting","gesture of inquiry (praśna-mudrā)","scroll or palm-leaf manuscripts"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized court scene, king in añjali, sage seated on a simple seat, emphasis on composed faces and didactic calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate court framing with gold accents, but the king’s posture humble; sage with luminous aura of serenity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined textiles and jewelry, subtle expressions, balanced composition highlighting teacher-student relationship.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate indoor scene with soft colors, king leaning forward in inquiry, sage calm, minimal background detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring serenity","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, respectful, slightly rising on the question"}
FAQs
It exemplifies a standard Purāṇic instructional setting: a named interlocutor formally requests teaching from a recognized sage, framing the transmission of philosophical material within a dialogic and didactic genre.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is primarily philosophical and dialogic rather than topographical.
The verse models disciplined inquiry and respectful discourse: the student requests instruction humbly, while the teacher is characterized as possessing a calm, clear intellect—an ethical ideal for knowledge transmission.
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