Varaha Purana 166.7: Adhyaya 166, Shloka 7
The Greatness of the Sacred Pond Called Asikuṇḍa
तदा किमुक्तमृषिणा नारदेन पितुः कृते ॥ आनृण्यमिति यद्वाक्यं मया बुद्धं न किञ्चन ॥
tadā kim uktam ṛṣiṇā nāradena pituḥ kṛte || ānṛṇyam iti yad vākyaṁ mayā buddhaṁ na kiñcana ||
‘ಆಗ ಋಷಿ ನಾರದರು ನನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯ ಕುರಿತು ಏನು ಹೇಳಿದರು? “ಆನೃಣ್ಯ” ಅಂದರೆ ಋಣಮುಕ್ತಿ ಎಂಬ ಮಾತಿನ ಅರ್ಥ ನನಗೆ ಏನೂ ತಿಳಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ.’
Varāha (narrating the king’s speech)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"What is meant by ‘ānṛṇya’ (freedom from debt/obligation) with respect to one’s father, and what must I do to attain it?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Clarify and fulfill ānṛṇya toward the father—filial obligations must be understood and discharged before claiming dharmic standing.","karmic_consequence":"Understanding and performing the required duties leads to dharmic eligibility and ancestral satisfaction; ignorance leaves one bound by pitṛ-ṛṇa and prone to misrule/adharma (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"hermeneutics of dharma","core_concept":"Dharma vocabulary (like ānṛṇya) is not merely theoretical; it demands interpretation into concrete duties and life-choices.","practical_application":"When encountering technical dharma terms, ask for definitions, scope (to whom/what), and actionable steps; convert moral language into obligations you can complete."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Historical Dharma-shastra"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: courtly consultation
Related Themes: 166.5.0 (Nārada’s maxim on ānṛṇya); Subsequent verses likely define pitṛ-ṛṇa discharge via service/śrāddha/lineage duties (not provided)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king, earnest and perplexed, addresses his ministers, asking the meaning of ānṛṇya toward his father.","item_prompts":["king with questioning gesture","ministers in attentive listening posture","scrolls or counsel tablets (symbolic)","somber court ambiance indicating moral seriousness"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: expressive faces; king’s questioning hand gesture; ministers in layered arrangement; warm tones with serious mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf throne and ornaments; king’s anxious inquiry emphasized by posture; ministers with dignified calm; ornate backdrop.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced emotion—confusion and humility; detailed textiles; restrained palette to match introspection.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate council scene; lyrical lines; emphasis on the king’s questioning expression; minimal props for clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, contemplative","suggested_raga":"Sāveri (serious, introspective)","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"softened, questioning emphasis on ‘ānṛṇyam’"}
FAQs
It shows technical ethical vocabulary entering a courtly setting, indicating how dharma concepts were expected to be interpreted and acted upon.
No location is named; the verse is a dialogue moment about meaning.
When a moral term is unclear, one should seek explanation rather than act blindly—ethical action is tied to understanding.
Ask anything about this verse
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