Varaha Purana 71.8 — Adhyaya 71, Shloka 8
Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account
एवमुक्ते तु रुद्रेण सर्वे ते मुनयो नृप । पप्रच्छुः शङ्करं देवं मोहशास्त्रप्रयोजनम् ॥ ७१.८ ॥
evam ukte tu rudreṇa sarve te munayo nṛpa | papracchuḥ śaṅkaraṃ devaṃ mohaśāstraprayojanam || 71.8 ||
ルドラがこのように語ると、王よ、そこにいた聖仙たちは皆、神シャンカラに「モーハ・シャーストラ」（迷妄を起こさせる教説／方略）の目的と用法を問いただした。
Narrator (frame address to the king); sages as interlocutors
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"What is the purpose (prayojana) and practical deployment (application) of the Moha-śāstra?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Raises a dharma-hermeneutic issue: why would a deity authorize a delusion-inducing doctrine—implying that discernment and corrective return to right dharma are necessary when moha operates.","karmic_consequence":"Understanding moha’s function helps avoid adharmic paths and return to right conduct; falling for moha leads to doctrinal error and consequent demerit (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Moha-śāstra functions as a cosmic ‘screen’ enabling differentiation, testing, and the unfolding of karma; the divine permits veiling (āvaraṇa) for līlā/niyati while also providing means to transcend it.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Not explicit; indirect: just as ritual has correct/incorrect understandings, doctrine can be used to veil or reveal depending on adhikāra (fitness).","vedantic_connection":"Connects to māyā/avidyā discourse: veiling power operates under Īśvara’s governance; liberation requires viveka to pierce moha."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"hermeneutics / theodicy of delusion","core_concept":"Even misleading doctrines can have a ‘purpose’ within cosmic governance—prompting inquiry into adhikāra, karma, and the protection of dharma.","practical_application":"Do not accept teachings uncritically; test by śāstra-pramāṇa, guru, and ethical fruits; seek teachings that reduce moha and increase sattva."}
Subject Matter: ["Philosophical Discourse","Dharma-shastra Context","Doctrinal Strategy (Moha-śāstra)","Dialogue Literature"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: narrative frame (address to king) + assembly of sages
Related Themes: 71.71.9 (explicit question on why Moha-śāstra was composed); 71.71.7 (right vision amid contrary views)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"After Rudra’s statement, sages collectively turn to Śaṅkara with earnest faces, asking about the Moha-śāstra; the king is addressed in the narrative frame.","item_prompts":["group of sages in questioning posture","Śaṅkara as respondent figure (calm, composed)","subtle ‘veil’ motif (smoke/curtain of light) indicating moha","narrator/king as peripheral listener"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: clustered sages with expressive eyes; Śaṅkara with serene face; a translucent veil-like band across the background to signify moha.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-backed Śaṅkara; sages with raised hands; ornamental veil pattern behind to suggest doctrinal ‘screen’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant court-assembly composition; soft veil/smoke near the top; emphasis on facial inquiry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate circle of sages around Śaṅkara; light mist in forest air symbolizing moha; king at edge."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, slightly tense","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"questioning, narrative-clear"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative technique: sages request clarification on a technical doctrinal term, indicating a didactic setting where competing or strategic teachings (here, ‘Moha-śāstra’) are explained within a broader dharma discourse.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily a dialogue transition focused on doctrinal inquiry.
The verse models an epistemic ethic: authoritative claims should be questioned and clarified through learned inquiry, especially when teachings involve ‘moha’ (delusion) or potentially misleading doctrine.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.