Varaha Purana 10.5: Adhyaya 10, Shloka 5
The Threefold Division by the Guṇas, the Deities’ Attainment of Worship, and the Opening of the Durjaya Episode
अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रो महागिरेः शृङ्गमिवोल्लिखंस्तदा । उवाच किं कार्यमथो सुरेशो ब्रूतां वरं देववरा वरं वः ॥ १०.५ ॥
anekabāhūdara-vaktra-netro mahāgireḥ śṛṅgam ivollikhaṁs tadā | uvāca kiṁ kāryam atho sureśo brūtāṁ varaṁ devavarā varaṁ vaḥ || 10.5 ||
そのとき、神々の主は—多くの腕を備え、広い腹をもち、さまざまな形の眼と顔を具え—大いなる山の峰をえぐるかのように掻き、こう告げた。「何をなすべきか。語れ、神々のうち最勝の者たちよ。願い（ヴァラ）を選べ。汝らのための願いを。」
Sureśa (interpretable as Indra; speaker not explicitly named beyond the epithet)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"observer"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"The epithet ‘Sureśa’ and the boon-granting scene are generic Purāṇic; no Mathurā/Kṛṣṇa linkage stated."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theology of grace","core_concept":"When pleased, the Lord becomes accessible and invites beings to articulate their true need; divine grace responds to expressed purpose (kārya).","practical_application":"In prayer, clarify intention and align requests with dharma; approach the divine with humility and readiness to receive guidance."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Mythic Geography","Divine Dialogue"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: mythic ritual-assembly
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: immediate response by the devas (10.10.6)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal, many-armed, many-faced, many-eyed divine figure appears, with a broad belly; his movement ‘scrapes’ like gouging a mountain peak, then he speaks, offering a boon to the assembled gods.","item_prompts":["towering multi-armed deity","multiple faces/eyes motif","broad belly (udarā)","mountain peak being scraped/gouged (metaphor visualized as earth/rock shavings)","devas gathered below in awe","speech gesture (varada/abhaya)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: monumental multi-armed form with rhythmic arm patterns, stylized mountain flank, devas in neat rows, strong outlines and saturated palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central colossal figure with gold-leaf halo and ornaments, embossed mountain textures, varada-mudrā emphasized.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced composition, intricate jewelry, controlled dynamism in the ‘scraping’ gesture, expressive devas.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: dramatic mountain landscape, deity towering yet graceful, delicate devas, emphasis on narrative moment of speech."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic proclamation","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"resonant, commanding"}
FAQs
It illustrates a common Purāṇic narrative technique: divine epithets and hyperbolic bodily descriptions are used to signal cosmic authority and to frame a formal exchange (question/boon-request) within a mythic-historical storyline.
No specific named location is given; the verse uses generalized imagery—“a great mountain” (mahāgiri) and its “peak” (śṛṅga)—as a poetic marker rather than a cartographically identifiable site.
The verse primarily establishes dialogic procedure and responsibility: before action is taken, the speaker asks “what is to be done?” and invites a clear articulation of purpose, modeling deliberation and accountable decision-making.
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