Varaha Purana 68.4: Adhyaya 68, Shloka 4
Dharma Across the Four Yugas, the Disruption of Social Conduct, and Ritual Purification from Varṇa-Mixing Transgressions
द्वापरे सत्त्वराजसी बहुले नृपसत्तम । यावद् धर्मसुतो राजा भविष्यति महामते ॥ ६८.४ ॥
dvāpare sattvarajasī bahule nṛpasattama | yāvad dharmasuto rājā bhaviṣyati mahāmते || 68.4 ||
Pada Dvāpara Yuga, wahai raja terbaik, sifat sattva dan rajas menjadi dominan, hingga muncul seorang raja putra Dharma, wahai yang berhikmat agung.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Possible indirect foreshadowing: Dvāpara as the age associated with Kṛṣṇa’s advent; however this verse specifically points to a dharma-born king rather than naming Kṛṣṇa."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"In Dvāpara, mixed guṇas (sattva-rajas) prevail, and righteous kingship (a ruler aligned with Dharma) becomes the stabilizing axis for society.","karmic_consequence":"When kings embody dharma, order and prosperity endure; when rājadharma fails, guṇa-mixture tips toward conflict and decline (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"guṇa-theory applied to history + political ethics","core_concept":"As yugas shift, the guṇic texture of society changes; governance aligned with Dharma is required to restrain rajas and preserve sattva.","practical_application":"For leaders: cultivate sattva (truthfulness, restraint) to govern rajas (power, ambition). For citizens: support dharmic institutions and accountability."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Political Theory (Rājadharma)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra (rājadharma undertone)
Type: yuga-historical frame (pan-Indian)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 68.68 (Dvāpara and Kali characterization continues)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha (as teacher) describes the Dvāpara age as dominated by sattva and rajas, anticipating the rise of a Dharma-aligned king.","item_prompts":["Varāha as divine instructor (anthropomorphic or icon form)","royal listener (nṛpasattama) seated respectfully","two-color aura motif (white/gold for sattva, red for rajas)","crown/royal insignia symbolizing rājadharma","scroll/banner naming ‘Dvāpara’"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha as dignified teacher with subtle boar features optional; king in añjali; background split into sattva (light) and rajas (warm red) fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha with gold halo; king with ornate crown; gilded guṇa motifs; rich temple-like frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined court scene; Varāha’s calm instruction; nuanced color symbolism for guṇas; delicate ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate teacher-king dialogue; stylized guṇa clouds (white and red) above; minimalistic yet symbolic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, steady with regal gravity","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, instructive"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic model of time (yuga cycles) and links political order to moral qualities (guṇas), a common framework in late-classical Sanskrit discourse on kingship and social stability.
No geographic site is named in this verse; the focus is temporal (Dvāpara-yuga) and ethical-political (qualities and the emergence of a righteous king).
The verse implies that governance and social conditions are shaped by moral-psychological qualities (sattva/rajas) and that legitimate kingship is ideally grounded in dharma (righteousness).
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.