Varaha Purana 24.12: Adhyaya 24, Shloka 12
The Birth of the Nāgas, Brahmā’s Curse, and the Pañcamī Observance
देवा ऊचुः । देवदेवेश लोकानां प्रसूति परमेश्वर । त्राहि नस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राणां भुजङ्गानां महात्मनाम् ॥ २४.१२ ॥
devā ūcuḥ | devadeveśa lokānāṁ prasūti parameśvara | trāhi nas tīkṣṇadaṁṣṭrāṇāṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ mahātmanām || 24.12 ||
ദേവന്മാർ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദേവദേവേശാ, ലോകങ്ങളുടെ പ്രസൂതി, പരമേശ്വരാ! തീക്ഷ്ണദംഷ്ട്രകളുള്ള മഹാത്മാ ഭുജംഗങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് ഞങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിക്കണമേ।
Devāḥ (the gods)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","key_question":"How are we to be protected from the great serpents with sharp fangs?"}
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":"Serpents here function as chthonic/chaotic forces threatening loka-order; the addressed Lord is invoked as the transcendent regulator of nāga-power (often associated with subterranean realms and latent energies).","vedantic_connection":"Īśvara as abhayaprada (giver of fearlessness) who subdues tamasic/ahi-like forces; protection is a mode of grace (anugraha) restoring ṛta/dharma."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti/śaraṇāgati","core_concept":"In crisis, even devas seek the Supreme as the ultimate protector beyond their own powers.","practical_application":"Cultivate refuge-taking: prayer with clear naming of the Lord’s cosmic roles (devadeveśa, lokaprasūti, parameśvara) when confronting fear."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Protective Supplication","Mythic Zoology"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: celestial assembly
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: protective episodes where devas petition for relief from adharma/daitya/nāga threats
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A group of devas with folded hands, anxious faces, addressing a radiant Supreme Lord; shadowy multi-hooded serpents loom at the margins, emphasizing threat.","item_prompts":["devas in crowns with añjali-mudrā","radiant central Lord figure or light","multi-hooded nāgas with sharp fangs","clouded celestial backdrop","fearful yet reverent expressions"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: devas in ornate attire, stylized nāga forms at borders, central luminous deity, strong contrast of fear and refuge.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf aura around the Lord, devas in jeweled garments, nāga hoods rendered with embossed detailing, dramatic but devotional composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant devas, restrained nāga depiction, emphasis on facial bhāva of supplication, soft shading.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical celestial court, serpents as sinuous dark forms near the ground line, devas clustered in prayer, serene divine presence above."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"urgent-supplication","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"pleading, slightly heightened intensity"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic literary motif: divine beings addressing a supreme deity with formal epithets (e.g., devadeveśa, parameśvara) to frame a crisis and request protection, reflecting the genre’s narrative and devotional rhetoric.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it is a situational appeal focused on threat (serpents) rather than sacred geography.
The verse foregrounds the philosophical instruction of seeking protection and order through legitimate authority in times of danger, expressed as a communal appeal for safeguarding life.
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