Varaha Purana 4.31: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 31
On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā
तं दृष्ट्वा भूतसङ्घातं राजा विस्मितमानसः । यावच्चिन्तयते किं स्यादेतदित्यवगम्य च । जैगीषव्यस्य माहात्म्यं कपिलस्य च धीमतः ॥ ४.३१ ॥
taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhūtasaṃghātaṃ rājā vismitamānasaḥ | yāvac cintayate kiṃ syād etad ity avagamya ca | jaigīṣavyasya māhātmyaṃ kapilasya ca dhīmataḥ || 4.31 ||
राजा ने इतने सारे जानवर देखे और हैरान हो गया। सोचने लगा कि यह क्या हो रहा है। फिर समझ आया कि जैगिषव्य और कपिल कितने बड़े हैं।
Varāha (default narrative voice within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in this fragment)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative strategy: a king’s wonder becomes the entry point for introducing revered figures (here, Jaigīṣavya and Kapila) whose authority is framed through “māhātmya” (eminence), a genre-marker used to authenticate teachings and lineages.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition focusing on recognition of persons rather than place.
The verse foregrounds reflective inquiry (pausing to consider “what is this?”) followed by discernment—an epistemic ethic in Purāṇic storytelling where careful observation and understanding lead to recognizing genuine wisdom and exemplary figures.
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