Varaha Purana 36.2 — Adhyaya 36, Shloka 2
Account of the Maṇija Kings and a Hymn to Govinda Leading to Liberation
योऽसौ सुप्रभानामासीत्त स त्वं राजन् कृते युगे । जातोऽसि नाम्ना विख्यातः प्रजापाल इति शोभनः ॥ ३६.२ ॥
yo'sau suprabhānāmāsīt sa tvaṃ rājan kṛte yuge | jāto'si nāmnā vikhyātaḥ prajā-pāla iti śobhanaḥ || 36.2 ||
હે રાજન, કૃતયુગમાં જે ‘સુપ્રભા’ નામે પ્રસિદ્ધ હતો તે જ તું છે. હવે તું ‘પ્રજાપાલ’ નામે વિખ્યાત થઈ જન્મ્યો છે, હે શોભન!
Varāha (default, per dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"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":"The king is instructed through yuga-linked identity and naming to uphold prajā-pālana (protection of subjects) as his defining dharma.","karmic_consequence":"When the ruler embodies prajā-pālana he gains fame (kīrti) and stability of rule; neglect leads to loss of renown and decline of polity (implied by rājadharma framing)."}
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":"itihāsa-smṛti / karma-identity across yugas","core_concept":"Continuity of the jīva’s karmic trajectory and social role across yugas, expressed through names and royal function (prajā-pālana).","practical_application":"A ruler (or leader) should treat office as dharma inherited from prior merit—govern as protector, not exploiter, to preserve kīrti."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Historical Dharma-shastra"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 36.36 (genealogical-yuga sequence continuing in 36.36.3-6)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha, as divine instructor, addresses a seated king, revealing his former identity in Kṛta-yuga and his present name ‘Prajāpāla’.","item_prompts":["Varāha in regal-divine form (not necessarily boar-faced) teaching posture","king with crown and folded hands","scroll/leaf-manuscript motif indicating genealogy","subtle yuga symbols (four-pillared dharma for Kṛta)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural palette; Varāha as guru with ornate jewelry, king in añjali; include palm-leaf manuscript and a faint four-pillar dharma emblem behind.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold-leaf halo around Varāha; king kneeling; inscribe ‘Prajāpāla’ on a stylized scroll; rich temple-arch frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore classical realism; calm courtly interior; Varāha instructing with abhaya/teaching gesture; detailed textiles and subdued yuga iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature: intimate dialogue under a pavilion; delicate lines; a small symbolic four-pillar motif for Kṛta-yuga; emphasis on narrative captioning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic-genealogical","suggested_raga":"Śrī (or Bilāval for clarity)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, declarative, teacherly"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative device: linking present figures to earlier yuga identities to structure genealogy, legitimacy, and moral exempla within cyclical time.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the focus is on yuga chronology and personal identification.
Implicitly, the verse frames kingship as guardianship—expressed through the name Prajāpāla (“protector of the people”)—highlighting a normative ideal of responsible rule.
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