Varaha Purana 72.3 — Adhyaya 72, Shloka 3
Instruction on the Unity of the Triad
Brahmā–Viṣṇu–Rudra
कस्मिन् प्रधानः भगवान् काले कस्मिन्नधोक्षजः । ब्रह्मा वा एतदाचक्ष्व मम देव त्रिलोचन ॥ ७२.३ ॥
kasmin pradhāno bhagavān kāle kasminn adhokṣajaḥ | brahmā vā etad ācakṣva mama deva trilocana || 72.3 ||
「いかなる時に世尊は第一の主宰原理となり、いかなる時に超越者アドホークシャジャがそうなるのですか。三つの眼をもつ神よ、ブラフマーが説くように、これを私にお告げください。」
Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework: Inquirer)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"curious, seeking clarity about hierarchy across time","key_question":"In which times/conditions is ‘Bhagavān’ primary, and in which is ‘Adhokṣaja’ primary—how should the supremacy/operation of the divine be understood across kāla?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Indirect: Adhokṣaja is a common epithet of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa, foreshadowing later Vaiṣṇava usage but no Mathurā-site linkage here."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theological inquiry into kāla and divine epithets","core_concept":"Different divine names (Bhagavān/Adhokṣaja) may indicate distinct modes—immanence, governance, transcendence—across temporal/cosmic contexts.","practical_application":"Use epithets as pointers to function (lordship, transcendence) rather than as competing deities; ask ‘what aspect is being taught here?’"}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Philosophy of time","Theology (comparative epithets)","Dialogue literature"]
Primary Rasa: jijnasa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: 72.72.4 (answering with Viṣṇu as para-brahman); 72.72.6 (one reality praised in many ways)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mother Earth (Pṛthivī) in reverent inquiry posture addressing a three-eyed deity (Rudra) about the Lord’s primacy across time; the background hints at cosmic cycles (sun/moon).","item_prompts":["Pṛthivī as goddess with green/earth-toned garments","Rudra with third eye and trident","sun and moon disks indicating kāla","gesture of questioning (añjali with slight tilt)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Pṛthivī and Rudra in profile dialogue; stylized sun/moon above; ornate borders; calm didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Rudra with gold-leaf aura; Pṛthivī with jeweled crown; embossed sun/moon medallions; rich reds/greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined facial expressions emphasizing inquiry; soft cosmic backdrop; minimal but elegant ornaments.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate conversational scene under a night sky with sun/moon symbolism; delicate landscape framing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, respectful","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"question-inflected, clear, slightly urgent"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic mode of inquiry where cosmological concepts (kāla, primacy, transcendence) are posed through dialogue, preserving layered theological vocabulary and intertextual references (e.g., invoking Brahmā as an authoritative explainer).
No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is conceptual, focusing on time (kāla) and divine status (pradhāna/adhokṣaja).
The verse primarily models philosophical inquiry and epistemic humility: it frames knowledge of ultimate principles as something to be carefully explained by an authoritative teacher rather than asserted dogmatically.
Ask anything about this verse
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