Varaha Purana 128.8 — Adhyaya 128, Shloka 8
Rites for the comb, collyrium, and mirror; initiations for the four social orders; and the Gaṇāntikā vow/insignia
मन्त्रः—त्यक्तानि विष्णो शस्त्राणि त्यक्तं सर्वं क्षत्रियकर्म सर्वम्॥ त्यक्त्वा देवं विष्णुं प्रपन्नोऽथ संसाराद्वै जन्मनां तारयस्व॥
mantraḥ—tyaktāni viṣṇo śastrāṇi tyaktaṃ sarvaṃ kṣatriyakarma sarvam | tyaktvā devaṃ viṣṇuṃ prapanno 'tha saṃsārād vai janmanāṃ tārayasva ||
മന്ത്രം— ഹേ വിഷ്ണുവേ! ആയുധങ്ങൾ ഞാൻ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു; ക്ഷത്രിയകർമ്മം മുഴുവനും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു. ദേവനായ വിഷ്ണുവിൽ ഞാൻ ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ചു; ഇനി എന്നെ സംസാരത്തിൽ നിന്ന്, ജന്മജന്മങ്ങളുടെ ചക്രത്തിൽ നിന്ന് രക്ഷിക്കണമേ.
Varāha (mantra to be recited by the initiate)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","bhu_devi_state":"seeking-release","key_question":"How does a kṣatriya, laying down weapons and duty, take refuge in Viṣṇu for deliverance from saṃsāra?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"The initiate verbally renounces weapons and kṣatriya-karmas and declares exclusive refuge in Viṣṇu, praying for liberation from rebirth.","karmic_consequence":"Sincere śaraṇāgati redirects life from violence/role-bound action toward mokṣa-oriented devotion; insincere or performative renunciation yields little fruit and may intensify inner conflict/adharma."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The mantra enacts the transition from kṣatra (force) to nārāyaṇa-śaraṇatva (refuge): the ‘boar’ who lifts Earth also lifts the bound jīva from the mire of births.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"‘Setting aside weapons’ parallels laying down external instruments and offering them into the inner yajña; the true ‘weapon’ becomes mantra and surrender.","vedantic_connection":"Prapatti theology: liberation is sought not by personal prowess but by reliance on Viṣṇu’s grace; karma is subordinated to mokṣa-intent and bhakti."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"mokṣa-śāstra / prapatti","core_concept":"Deliverance from saṃsāra comes through exclusive refuge in Viṣṇu, not through worldly role or force.","practical_application":"Translate ‘laying down weapons’ into daily life: reduce harm, relinquish compulsive control, and anchor decisions in devotion and non-injury."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Mantra","Initiation (Dīkṣā)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: mantra-utterance locus (initiation moment)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 128.7 (pāda-grahaṇa before mantra); Varāha Purāṇa 128.9 (recitation posture and sequence)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The initiate, hands folded after touching the feet, recites a solemn mantra; weapons (sword/bow) are placed aside, symbolizing renunciation, while Varāha presides as Viṣṇu.","item_prompts":["set-aside weapons on cloth","initiate in prayer posture","Varāha with calm, protective stance","mantra-scroll or priest prompting","altar fire or lamp","aura/halo suggesting refuge"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic yet serene; weapons placed at edge; Varāha as compassionate protector; deep colors, ritual lamps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold halo around Varāha; richly ornamented deity; weapons rendered as offerings; embossed gold for sacred radiance.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced composition; refined facial emotion of yearning; soft illumination; detailed metalwork of weapons set down.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: poetic renunciation scene; minimal props; emphasis on gesture and expression; gentle background wash."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"supplicatory and grave","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow, with weight on ‘prapannaḥ’ and ‘tārayasva’","voice_tone":"deep, pleading, controlled"}
FAQs
It is evidence for the presence of refuge-oriented (prapatti) devotional idiom in Purāṇic ritual contexts, linking social role-transformation with liberation language.
No geographic location is mentioned; the focus is existential (saṃsāra, birth-cycle) rather than topographical.
The mantra articulates a transition from role-based violence/obligation toward self-restraint and refuge in a higher moral-spiritual commitment, framed as a liberation-seeking orientation.
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.