Varaha Purana 170.93: Adhyaya 170, Shloka 93
The Birth of Gokarṇa and the Fruits of Śiva Worship
including the Śukodara Parrot Episode and Hospitality Ethics
तपश्चचार विपुलं शुको व्याससुतो महान् ॥ श्रोतुकामाः पुराणानि सेतिहासानि नैगमाः
tapaścacāra vipulaṃ śuko vyāsasuto mahān || śrotukāmāḥ purāṇāni setihāsāni naigamāḥ
വ്യാസന്റെ മഹാനായ പുത്രൻ ശുകൻ അത്യധികം തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു; പുരാണങ്ങൾ, ഇതിഹാസങ്ങൾ, നൈഗമങ്ങൾ (ശാസ്ത്രോപദേശങ്ങൾ) കേൾക്കാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവർ അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു।
Varāha (default narrative frame)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"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":"sādhana (tapas + śravaṇa)","core_concept":"Spiritual maturity arises from disciplined austerity and receptive listening to śāstra; knowledge is transmitted through desire-to-hear (śrotukāmatā).","practical_application":"Balance practice (tapas, restraint) with study/listening; seek qualified narration; cultivate attentive hearing as a form of yoga."}
Subject Matter: ["Ascetic Practice","Transmission of Sacred Literature","Intellectual Culture"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest hermitage / scholastic gathering
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: self-presentation as a teaching tradition within purāṇic transmission (general)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śuka, son of Vyāsa, engaged in intense tapas; nearby, seekers sit with folded hands, eager to hear Purāṇas, Itihāsas, and Naigamas.","item_prompts":["ascetic Śuka with matted hair or serene youthful sage form","Vyāsa implied by presence of staff/seat or distant figure","students in rows (śiṣya-gaṇa)","palm-leaf manuscripts","sacrificial fire (optional)","forest āśrama setting with deer and trees"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: central seated Śuka in meditation; surrounding listeners in semicircle; stylized forest; warm ochres and greens; fine facial detailing.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: Śuka enthroned on a simple seat with halo-like aura; gold leaf on ornaments and manuscript edges; listeners as a decorative frieze.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: elegant, calm scholastic scene; soft shading; detailed manuscripts and rosaries; restrained palette.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical hermitage in mountain-forest; delicate figures; emphasis on attentive listening; birds and trees framing the teaching circle."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverent, didactic","suggested_raga":"Todi (or Bhairavi)","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"deep, steady, contemplative"}
FAQs
It links ascetic authority (tapas) with the circulation of Purāṇic and Itihāsa materials, reflecting how knowledge is framed as both practiced and heard.
No geographic location is specified in this verse.
It elevates disciplined practice and attentive listening as complementary modes of learning and self-cultivation.
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.