Varaha Purana 171.59: Adhyaya 171, Shloka 59
Śuka’s Ocean Voyage: Adverse Winds, Arrival at a Viṣṇu Shrine, and Aid from the Jaṭāyu Birds
Uttara Bhāga · Peril of the Ocean (Samudra as Boundary Space)
ते समाश्वास्य तं प्राहुः कथमस्मिन्भवाङ्गतः ॥ वारिराशिर्दुराधर्षः समुद्रो झषसङ्कुलः
te samāśvāsya taṃ prāhuḥ kathamasminbhavāṅgataḥ || vārirāśirdurādharṣaḥ samudro jhaṣasaṅkulaḥ
te samAshvAsya taM prAhuH kathamasminbhavAngataH || vArirAshirdurAdharShaH samudro jhaShasaMkulaH
जब उसने उन्हे संभाला, वो बोले तुम यहाँ कैसे फंस गए? यह समुंदर बहुत बड़ा है। इसमें पानी का बड़ा भंडार है, पार करना मुश्किल है। मछलियाँ भर पड़ी हैं।
Sandhi Notes
- katham+asmin→kathamasmin
- asmin+bhava-aṅgataḥ→asminbhavāṅgataḥ
- vāri-rāśiḥ+durādharṣaḥ→vārirāśirdurādharṣaḥ
कथमस्मिन् भवाङ्गतः—‘How did you come to be in this plight, facing the hard-to-cross ocean?’
Compassionate inquiry (praśna) and reassurance (āśvāsa) precede counsel; adversity is approached through dialogue rather than blame.
When someone is distressed, first stabilize them emotionally, then ask clear questions to diagnose the problem.
171.171.4-6 (continuation of the episode: return, ritual performance, offerings); 172.1.0 (Varāha’s framing of Gokarṇa’s observance)
FAQs
It captures a classical literary topos of the sea as a dangerous, creature-filled expanse, helpful for comparative study of maritime imagination in Sanskrit texts.
The samudra (ocean) is referenced generically; no specific coastline or named sea is given.
The dialogue stresses prudence: acknowledging danger and questioning the circumstances of risky passage.
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.
