Varaha Purana 8.48: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 48
Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices
Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna
खात्मेन्दुपृथ्वीपवनाग्निभास्कराः जलं च यस्य प्रभवन्ति मूर्त्तयः । स सर्वदा मे भगवान् सनातनो ददातु शं विष्णुरचिन्त्यरूपधृक् ॥ ८.४८ ॥
khātmendu-pṛthvī-pavanāgni-bhāskarā jalaṁ ca yasya prabhavanti mūrtayaḥ | sa sarvadā me bhagavān sanātano dadātu śaṁ viṣṇur acintya-rūpa-dhṛk || 8.48 ||
虚空・アートマン（自己）・月・大地・風・火・太陽、そして水もまた、御身の顕現した諸形相より生ずる。不可思議の姿を帯びる永遠の世尊ヴィシュヌよ、常に我に安寧を授け給え。
Varāha (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not given in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Viṣṇu as the source of bhūtas and luminaries: the many ‘forms’ (mūrtis) are His manifesting powers; ‘acintya-rūpa’ underscores transcendence even while being the ground of elements.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Elemental deities as limbs of the cosmic sacrifice; the Lord as the hidden yajamāna from whom space, fire, wind, waters arise as ritual necessities.","vedantic_connection":"Acintya-bhedābheda style tension: the world arises from Him yet He remains inconceivable; also aligns with Īśvara as the substratum of pañca-mahābhūta."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"metaphysics/theology","core_concept":"All elemental principles and celestial regulators arise from the Lord’s manifested powers, yet His true nature remains beyond conceptual grasp.","practical_application":"Hold a disciplined humility in inquiry (acintya); seek śānti through devotion and recognition of a single source behind nature’s forces."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Theology (Vaiṣṇava hymnody)","Metaphysics","Elements (pañca-mahābhūta and luminaries)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa cosmological enumerations of elements and their divine source (general thematic parallel)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Viṣṇu as the fountainhead of elements: space opening like a dome, wind as swirling ribbons, fire as tongues of flame, waters as waves, earth as a globe, with sun and moon orbiting—yet the deity remains serene and ‘inconceivable’.","item_prompts":["Viṣṇu central, calm","icons of pañca-mahābhūtas","sun and moon as attendants/orbs","earth globe emerging","subtle aura suggesting acintya (indescribable)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized elemental motifs around Viṣṇu; balanced composition with sun/moon in corners; muted cosmic palette with strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heavy gold for sun/moon halos and Viṣṇu prabhā; embossed elemental emblems encircling the deity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: fine detailing of elemental textures (water sheen, flame gradation); soft luminous background to suggest acintya.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: delicate clouds and rivers; sun/moon like miniature discs; Viṣṇu seated amid a poetic cosmogram."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"benedictory, serene","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"gentle, clear, auspicious"}
FAQs
It exemplifies a common Purāṇic literary mode: a concise cosmological catalogue embedded within a devotional-styled benediction, reflecting how metaphysics and praise are interwoven in early medieval Sanskrit compendia.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the focus is cosmological (elements and celestial bodies) rather than sacred geography.
Rather than a direct moral rule, the verse conveys a philosophical instruction: to recognize the unity and sourcehood behind natural phenomena and to orient oneself toward well-being (śam) through contemplative acknowledgement of that principle.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.