Varaha Purana 44.11: Adhyaya 44, Shloka 11
The Vaiśākha Bright-Twelfth Observance: Worship of Hari as Jāmadagnya and Its Fruits
स पूजितो मुनिः प्राह किमर्थं तप्यते तपः । राजन् कथय धर्मज्ञ किं ते कार्यं विवक्षितम् ॥ ४४.११ ॥
sa pūjito muniḥ prāha kimarthaṃ tapyate tapaḥ | rājan kathaya dharmajña kiṃ te kāryaṃ vivakṣitam || 44.11 ||
राजा ने रिशि की पूजा की। तब रिशि ने पूछा, इतनी तपस्या क्यों कर रहे हो? राजा, तुम धरम जानते हो, बताओ क्या बात है? क्या चाहिए तुम्हे?
Muni (sage; interlocutor addressing the king)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative technique: a formalized dialogue where a sage interrogates the motive behind ascetic practice, situating tapas within ethical and social responsibility rather than treating it as an end in itself.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is framed as a courtly-ascetic exchange (“O king”) without place-specific markers.
The verse foregrounds intentionality and accountability: austerity (tapas) should be undertaken with a clear purpose, and the agent—here a king—should articulate the intended aim in terms of dharma and duty.
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