Varaha Purana 7.36: Adhyaya 7, Shloka 36
The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu
Gadādhara
संसारतोयार्णवदुःखतन्तुभिर्वियोगनक्रक्रमणैः सुभीषणैः । मज्जन्तमुच्चैः सुतरां महाप्लवे गदाधरो मामु दधातु पोतवत् ॥ ७.३६ ॥
saṃsāra-toyārṇava-duḥkha-tantubhir viyoga-nakra-kramaṇaiḥ subhīṣaṇaiḥ | majjantam uccaiḥ sutarāṃ mahāplave gadādharo mām u dadhātu potavat || 7.36 ||
संसार एक बड़ा समुंदर जैसा है। दुख की रस्सियाँ बंधी हैं, मगरमच्छ भी दिखते हैं। मैं डूब रहा हूँ। गदाधर भगवान मुझे कश्ती की तरह पकड़ लें।
Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework: supplicant voice addressing Varāha/Viṣṇu)
FAQs
It exemplifies a common Purāṇic literary strategy: framing existential suffering (saṃsāra) through vivid maritime imagery (ocean, flood, predators) and presenting divine aid as a stabilizing vehicle (boat), reflecting broader South Asian devotional-poetic conventions used for teaching and memory.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the imagery is primarily cosmological and metaphorical (the 'ocean of saṃsāra').
The verse emphasizes a disciplined recognition of suffering and instability in worldly existence and directs the listener toward seeking stabilizing guidance/support (here symbolized by the 'mace-bearer' as protector) rather than being overwhelmed by fear and separation.
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