Varaha Purana 138.77: Adhyaya 138, Shloka 77
The Episode of the Khañjarīṭa Bird
and the Saukarava Tīrtha’s Merit
यद्भवान्पृच्छते तात गुह्यं सौकरवं प्रति॥ खञ्जरीटो ह्यहं तात पक्षियोनिसमुद्भवः॥
yad bhavān pṛcchate tāta guhyaṃ saukaravaṃ prati | khañjarīṭo hy ahaṃ tāta pakṣiyonisamudbhavaḥ ||
താതാ, ‘സൗകരവ’ സംബന്ധിച്ച് നിങ്ങൾ ചോദിക്കുന്ന ആ ഗുഹ്യകാര്യം— താതാ, ഞാൻ തന്നെയാണ് ഖഞ്ജരീട; പക്ഷിയോണിയിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ചവൻ.
Khañjarīṭa (self-identified speaker within the story)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"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":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma and rebirth","core_concept":"Jīva-identity traverses species (yoni) according to karma; narrative confession becomes a vehicle for moral causality and transformation.","practical_application":"Reflect on actions as causes shaping future embodiment; cultivate dharma to avoid degrading births and to move toward sattvic states."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Narrative Literature","Identity and Rebirth"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: narrative interior (family dialogue)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 138 (Saukarava-related ‘secret’ episode; Khañjarīṭa’s self-identification)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Khañjarīṭa reveals his true identity and bird-origin, speaking earnestly to his father about a secret connected to ‘Saukarava’.","item_prompts":["speaker gesturing in explanation","father listening intently","subtle bird motif (feather, small bird silhouette)","aura of secrecy (dim interior, focused faces)","scroll/teaching atmosphere"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic revelation posture, stylized bird emblem near the speaker, strong facial expressiveness, restrained background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate framing with gold accents; symbolic bird motif rendered as decorative emblem; emphasis on the gravity of confession.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined narrative realism; subtle bird symbolism; careful attention to hand gestures and eye contact.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: storytelling intimacy; small symbolic bird perched nearby; delicate expressions highlighting wonder and seriousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"mysterious and revelatory","suggested_raga":"Puriya","pace":"slow-medium","voice_tone":"low, deliberate, confessional"}
FAQs
It exemplifies Purāṇic storytelling techniques where non-human speakers narrate moral causality and identity, often linked to karmic or didactic frameworks.
No location is named in this verse; it introduces a speaker and a topic (‘Saukarava’) rather than a site.
The verse sets up disclosure of a ‘secret’ teaching, implying that careful inquiry and truthful self-reporting are prerequisites for understanding the narrative’s moral logic.
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.