Varaha Purana 125.8: Adhyaya 125, Shloka 8
The Cycle of Māyā
Illusory Causation and Perceptual Reversal
वृथाक्लेशं किमर्थं त्वं प्राप्स्यते यद्विलोकनात् ॥ अद्यापि मां न जानन्ति रुद्रेन्द्राः सपितामहाः ॥
vṛthā-kleśaṃ kimarthaṃ tvaṃ prāpsyate yad-vilokanāt | adyāpi māṃ na jānanti rudrendrāḥ sa-pitāmahāḥ ||
അതിനെ കാണാൻ ശ്രമിച്ച് നീ എന്തിന് വ്യർത്ഥമായ ക്ലേശം അനുഭവിക്കണം? ഇന്നും പിതാമഹൻ (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്) സഹിതം രുദ്രന്മാരും ഇന്ദ്രന്മാരും എന്നെ പൂർണ്ണമായി അറിയുന്നില്ല।
Varāha/Viṣṇu
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha/Viṣṇu discourages Earth from straining after direct perception of māyā/His full nature; he asserts transcendence beyond even high deities, guiding her toward humility."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"potentially overreaching in inquiry; being protected from ‘vṛthā-kleśa’ (fruitless exertion).","key_question":"Implicitly: What are the limits of knowing the Lord/māyā, and why is such knowledge inaccessible even to great gods?"}
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":"Hierarchy of knowers (Indra, Rudra, Brahmā) failing to ‘know fully’ underscores the Lord as the ground of all cosmic offices; māyā is His instrument, not an object mastered by cosmic administrators.","vedantic_connection":"Echoes the doctrine of Brahman/Īśvara as ultimately unknowable by finite intellect; supports bhakti-epistemology where realization depends on grace and right means, not status or power."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Theology as epistemology (aprameyatā and adhikāra)","core_concept":"Attempting to ‘see’ (vilokana) the Lord’s māyā/essence by sheer effort leads to futile strain; even exalted beings lack exhaustive comprehension.","practical_application":"Replace prideful speculation with disciplined practice—devotion, ethical living, and receptive listening—accepting that some truths are approached asymptotically."}
Subject Matter: ["Philosophy","Theology as epistemology (knowledge limits)","Cosmology (divine hierarchies)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: cosmological register
Related Themes: Continuation of the Lord’s refusal/qualification of the māyā question in this māyā-prakaraṇa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha/Viṣṇu speaks with calm authority; behind him appear faint, humbled figures or symbols of Rudra, Indra(s), and Brahmā, indicating their limited knowledge; Earth listens, chastened yet comforted.","item_prompts":["Varāha/Viṣṇu central, authoritative posture","faint background silhouettes: Brahmā (four faces), Indra (vajra), Rudra (trident)","Bhu Devi attentive, slightly lowered gaze","cosmic expanse suggesting transcendence"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: central deity with strong aura; stylized secondary figures of Brahmā/Indra/Rudra in the background; dramatic yet controlled composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold halo dominating; miniature iconographic emblems (vajra, triśūla, four-faced Brahmā) in gold relief; Bhu Devi at the base in devotion.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced classical grouping; subtle background deities; emphasis on serene authority and philosophical gravity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: airy cosmic scene with small, humbled gods in the distance; gentle colors; Earth close to the Lord, emphasizing intimacy amid vastness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"austere, majestic, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave, steady, authoritative"}
FAQs
It reflects a widespread Purāṇic motif: even high cosmic deities are portrayed as limited knowers, establishing a hierarchy of knowledge and emphasizing metaphysical subtlety.
No geographic location is identified; the verse references cosmological figures (Rudras, Indras, Brahmā).
It advises against unproductive mental strain and promotes discernment about the limits of perception and conceptualization.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.