Varaha Purana 215.30: Adhyaya 215, Shloka 30
Description of the Māhātmya of Gokarṇeśvara and Jaleśvara (Śaileśvara) in the Śleṣmātaka Forest
अन्तर्हितोऽन्तरिक्षस्थः प्रोवाचास्मानुपालभन् ॥ भो भो देवा मया यूयं वच्यमानानवाप्स्यथ ॥
antarhito 'ntarikṣasthaḥ provācāsmān upālabhan || bho bho devā mayā yūyaṁ vacyamānān avāpsyatha ||
वो हवा में छुप गया और हमें डाँटने लगा। उसने ऊपर से आवाज़ लगाई के सुनो देवियों, जो मैं तुम्हे बता रहा हूँ वो तुम नहीं पा सकते।
The wondrous mṛga / unseen speaker (antarikṣasthaḥ)
Why do the gods fail to attain what is declared—what inner deficiency blocks attainment?
A rebuke establishes that status (‘deva’) is insufficient without eligibility (adhikāra) grounded in right conduct and understanding.
Without humility and proper qualification, even divine agents are denied the promised attainment.
The hidden, mid-air voice functions like the unseen law (dharma/ṛta) that judges intention; the ‘antarikṣa’ locus suggests liminality between seen action and unseen consequence.
Antarikṣa as the ‘space’ of mantra/śabda; the admonishing voice as śruti-like correction that cannot be seized physically.
The real instructor is often ‘unseen’ (antarhita): conscience/śāstra as pramāṇa; attainment depends on inner transformation, not external capture.
Eligibility for higher attainment is ethical and cognitive, not merely positional.
Before seeking boons/merit, cultivate restraint, right intention, and receptivity to correction.
215.34.0; 215.35.0
FAQs
The verse exemplifies a Purāṇic didactic turn where an extraordinary figure delivers moral critique, a hallmark of dialogic instruction in Sanskrit narrative.
No named geography; the speaker is described as 'in the sky' (antarikṣa).
It introduces a corrective: mere power or pursuit does not guarantee attainment; right understanding and conduct are implied prerequisites.
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