Varaha Purana 137.175: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 175
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
Uttara Bhāga (approx.) · Narrative Ethics: Spousal Dialogue and Disclosure
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं भार्यापीडाभिपीडितः ॥ शृणु तत्त्वेन मे भद्रे शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम्
uvāca madhuraṁ vākyaṁ bhāryāpīḍābhipīḍitaḥ || śṛṇu tattvena me bhadre śubhaṁ vā yadi vāśubham
uvAcha madhuraM vAkyaM bhAryApIDAbhipIDitaH || shRRiNu tattvena me bhadre shubhaM vA yadi vAshubham
妻による苦悩に圧されながらも、彼は甘美な言葉を語った。「真実に即して聞け、善き婦人よ—吉であれ凶であれ。」
Sandhi Notes
- bhāryāpīḍābhipīḍitaḥ → bhāryā-pīḍā-abhipīḍitaḥ
- vāśubham → vā aśubham
Narrator
Attentive, receiving guarded instruction
To whom should sacred knowledge/teaching be transmitted, and to whom should it be withheld?
Knowledge of the Supreme requires moral and intellectual fitness; slander and folly obstruct realization and corrupt transmission.
Transmit teachings to those who are sincere, non-malicious, and capable of understanding; avoid empowering those who weaponize doctrine. (Note: the verse’s varṇa-based exclusion reflects a historical textual stance; many later Vaiṣṇava traditions emphasize bhakti-based eligibility.)
Varāha issues a prescriptive restriction on transmission (‘it should not be given…’), implying guarded teaching addressed within the broader Varāha–Bhūmi instructional frame.
Do not transmit the teaching to slanderers or fools; the verse further restricts transmission by varṇa categories as stated in the text.
Giving to the unfit is implied to degrade the teaching and incur fault through misuse/defamation; withholding preserves sanctity and right understanding (as framed by the text).
Varāha Purāṇa passages on secrecy/merit of teaching and listener-qualification (adhikāra) in surrounding sections (contextual)
FAQs
It illustrates a common Purāṇic narrative technique: ethical teaching embedded within household situations and interpersonal speech norms.
No location is specified in this verse.
To communicate with restraint and clarity even under emotional pressure, preparing the listener for difficult truths.
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