Varaha Purana 177.5 — Adhyaya 177, Shloka 5
The Curse of Sāmba and the Prescribed Observance of Sun-Worship
साम्बं दृष्ट्वा च सर्वासां क्षुभ्यते च मनः प्रभो ॥ एतत्तु ब्रह्मलोके च गीयते दैवतैः स्वयम् ॥
sāmbaṃ dṛṣṭvā ca sarvāsāṃ kṣubhyate ca manaḥ prabho || etattu brahmaloke ca gīyate daivataiḥ svayam
Wahai Prabhu, ketika melihat Sāmba, hati mereka semua menjadi gelisah. Perihal ini bahkan dinyanyikan di alam Brahmā oleh para dewa sendiri.
Unspecified (Nārada speaking within Varāha’s narrated discourse)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"Sāmba is identified as Kṛṣṇa’s son; the verse highlights the moral-psychological danger of uncontrolled attraction within Kṛṣṇa’s extended household."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"psychology of desire (kāma)","core_concept":"Darśana (seeing) can trigger kṣobha (agitation) in the mind; unchecked attraction becomes a destabilizing force.","practical_application":"Guard the senses; create protective norms and self-restraint where beauty and proximity can inflame desire."}
Subject Matter: ["Historical Narrative","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: śṛṅgāra
Type: celestial realm
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 177 (build-up to admonition/quoted authority)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Sāmba appears; groups of women react with visible mental agitation; above/behind, a celestial chorus in Brahmaloka is implied as singing of the matter.","item_prompts":["Sāmba radiant and youthful","women with startled/enchanted expressions","visual motif of ‘agitated mind’ (fluttering scarves, restless posture)","celestial musicians/chorus in upper register of the painting"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized expressive eyes, dynamic hand gestures showing kṣobha, layered composition with Brahmaloka musicians above.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Sāmba with halo, surrounding queens/apsaras, upper panel with deities singing; gold accents for celestial realm.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: controlled drama—subtle agitation in faces, refined court setting, faint celestial vignette overhead.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative split-scene—foreground court encounter, background/sky Brahmaloka singers; delicate emotional expressions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"tense and cautionary","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"grave, warning-inflected"}
FAQs
It shows how Purāṇic narratives legitimize events through cosmic witness (Brahmaloka, deities), a literary strategy that amplifies social-moral themes.
Brahmaloka is a cosmological locale rather than a terrestrial geography; the earthly setting remains Dvārakā by context.
It foregrounds the theme of mental agitation (kṣobha) as a driver of consequential action, preparing the reader for an ethics-of-restraint narrative.
Ask anything about this verse
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