Varaha Purana 71.28: Adhyaya 71, Shloka 28
Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account
एवमुक्तो गौतमोऽथ तान् मुनीन् प्राह धर्मवित् । प्रायश्चित्तं गोवध्याया दीयतां मे तपोधनाः ॥ ७१.२८ ॥
evamukto gautamo ’tha tān munīn prāha dharmavit | prāyaścittaṃ govadhyāyā dīyatāṃ me tapodhanāḥ || 71.28 ||
Mendengar demikian, Gautama yang mengetahui dharma berkata kepada para resi: “Wahai kalian yang berharta tapa, tetapkanlah bagiku penebusan (prāyaścitta) atas pembunuhan sapi.”
Gautama
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","key_question":"What is the proper expiation for go-vadha (killing of a cow)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"For the grave sin of cow-killing, one must seek and perform an appropriate prāyaścitta as prescribed by dharma-knowers.","karmic_consequence":"Proper expiation mitigates/neutralizes pāpa and restores eligibility for ritual and social life; neglect sustains sin and its painful results."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethical accountability","core_concept":"Acknowledging fault and requesting correction is itself a dharmic act; dharma is restored through confession + prescribed remedy.","practical_application":"When harm is done, name it clearly, seek competent guidance, and undertake concrete reparative discipline."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Dharma-śāstra","Ritual Expiation"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: juridical-ritual consultation space
Related Themes: 71.71.29 (purificatory remedy via Gaṅgā implied)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gautama, earnest and contrite, addresses ascetic sages, requesting the expiation for cow-killing; the scene feels like a moral tribunal.","item_prompts":["Gautama with lowered head","sages attentive, one elder poised to instruct","cow in background","scroll/leaf manuscript motif (symbolic of śāstra)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: didactic tableau—teacher-sage centered, Gautama in humility, strong outlines, restrained palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: elder sage with gold halo as dharma-authority, Gautama kneeling, gold-leaf emphasis on sacred authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant court-like arrangement, subtle remorse on Gautama’s face, detailed ascetic attributes.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative clarity with gentle hills/trees, emphasis on interpersonal distance closing through humility."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"penitential-inquisitive","suggested_raga":"Darbārī Kānaḍā","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"low, contrite, steady"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic mode of ethical jurisprudence in which authoritative figures (sages and dharma-knowers) articulate prāyaścitta frameworks, paralleling broader Dharmaśāstra traditions while embedding them in narrative dialogue.
No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse; the focus is on a juridical-ethical request (prāyaścitta) rather than sacred geography.
The verse foregrounds accountability for harm and the principle that serious transgressions (here, cow-killing) are addressed through formally prescribed expiatory disciplines within a dharma-guided community of sages.
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