Varaha Purana 155.47 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 47
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
विष्णवे लोकनाथाय चागतो हरिजागरात् ॥ इदं शरीरं मे रक्षो भक्षयस्व यथेप्सितम्
viṣṇave lokanāthāya cāgato harijāgarāt || idaṃ śarīraṃ me rakṣo bhakṣayasva yathepsitam
“ഹരിജാഗരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വന്ന് ലോകനാഥനായ വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ അടുക്കൽ എത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ രാക്ഷസാ, എന്റെ ഈ ശരീരം നിനക്കിഷ്ടമുള്ളപോലെ ഭക്ഷിക്ക.”
Sudhana (merchant; speaker inferred from nearby 'sudhana uvāca')
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","key_question":"Implicit: Can devotion to Viṣṇu (Hari-jāgara) sanctify even the surrender of one’s body, transforming fear into offering?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Offer the body and life to the Lord’s purpose with unwavering bhakti; face harm without hatred, grounded in Viṣṇu-devotion.","karmic_consequence":"Such self-surrender (ātma-nivedana) is framed as spiritually elevating and protective in a soteriological sense; violence met with ego/fear would bind (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Hari-jāgara (kept for Hari)","tithi_month":"Not specified here","promised_fruit":"Fearlessness and sanctified resolve; the vigil becomes a spiritual credential empowering self-offering and divine oversight (implied by narrative)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti-soteriology","core_concept":"Ātma-nivedana: the body is not ‘mine’ but an offering; devotion dissolves fear of death and reorients agency toward the Lord (Lokānātha).","practical_application":"In crisis, anchor identity in devotion and duty rather than bodily attachment; act without malice, with surrender of outcomes."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Soteriology (Liberation Motifs)","Narrative Literature"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: danger zone / moral arena
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155.47 (Hari-jāgara and nāma); Varāha Purāṇa 155.52 (truth and dharma while alive)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The merchant stands before a rākṣasa, calmly declaring he has come from Hari’s vigil and offering his body to be eaten, unwavering in devotion to Viṣṇu.","item_prompts":["merchant calm and upright","rākṣasa looming yet paused","gesture of offering/open palms","subtle Viṣṇu-symbols (conch/disc motif)","contrast of serenity vs menace"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic demon figure with stylized ferocity, devotee serene with halo-like devotion, strong color contrast, clear narrative staging.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: devotee foreground with gold aura and ornaments minimal, rākṣasa rendered richly but subdued by the devotee’s radiance; gold highlights on sacred words/halo.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined demon depiction without grotesque excess, emphasis on devotee’s composed face, detailed textiles and controlled lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: compact storytelling—devotee and rākṣasa in a simple setting, expressive eyes, symbolic color fields (light around devotee, dark around demon)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, fearless-devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"deep, unwavering, with weight on ‘lokanāthāya’ and a calm cadence on the offering line"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif: a layperson (merchant) invoking devotional practice (harijāgara) within an ethical test involving fear, truthfulness, and self-offering.
No explicit geographic toponym appears in this verse; the setting is narrative and interpersonal rather than place-specific.
The verse foregrounds resolve and self-sacrifice framed through devotion, presenting steadfastness under threat as an ethical ideal.
Ask anything about this verse
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