Varaha Purana 24.22: Adhyaya 24, Shloka 22

The Birth of the Nāgas, Brahmā’s Curse, and the Pañcamī Observance

Devanagari script

नागा ऊचुः । मर्यादां कुरु देवेश स्थानं चैव पृथक् पृथक् । मनुष्याणां तथाऽस्माकं समयं च पृथक् पृथक् । नागानां वचनं श्रुत्वा देवो वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ २४.२२ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 24.22

Transliteration

nāgā ūcuḥ | maryādāṁ kuru deveśa sthānaṁ caiva pṛthak pṛthak | manuṣyāṇāṁ tathā’smākaṁ samayaṁ ca pṛthak pṛthak | nāgānāṁ vacanaṁ śrutvā devo vacanam abravīt || 24.22 ||

Translation

നാഗങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദേവേശാ, മര്യാദ (പരിധി) സ്ഥാപിക്കണമേ; ഓരോരുത്തർക്കും വേറേവേറെ വാസസ്ഥലങ്ങൾ നിശ്ചയിക്കണമേ. അതുപോലെ മനുഷ്യർക്കും ഞങ്ങൾക്കും വേറേവേറെ നിയമ-കരാറുകളും നിശ്ചയിക്കണമേ. നാഗങ്ങളുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ദേവൻ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.

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Word by Word

• nāgāḥ: Nāgas (serpentine beings)

• ūcuḥ: said

• maryādām: boundary, limit, proper regulation

• kuru: establish, make

• deveśa: Lord of the gods

• sthānam: place, station, dwelling

• caiva: and indeed

• pṛthak pṛthak: separately, distinctively

• manuṣyāṇām: of humans

• tathā: likewise

• asmākam: of us

• samayam: agreement, convention, rule

• vacanam: speech, statement

• śrutvā: having heard

• devaḥ: the deity

• abravīt: spoke

Speaker

Nāgāḥ (petitioners); Deva (respondent, unnamed in this excerpt)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"Please establish मर्यादा—clear boundaries, separate abodes, and distinct compacts for humans and Nāgas to prevent conflict."}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Good governance requires defined boundaries (मर्यादा), designated territories, and explicit social compacts between communities/species.","karmic_consequence":"When boundaries and agreements are upheld, conflict diminishes and order prevails; when ignored, violence, fear, and collective sin/instability increase."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"political ethics","core_concept":"Dharma includes structured coexistence: rights, limits, and duties are stabilized through agreed norms and proper place (deśa) allocation.","practical_application":"In disputes, seek clear jurisdiction, defined roles, and enforceable agreements rather than retaliatory cycles."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Social Order","Governance","Cultural Geography"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic/puranic assembly

Cross References

Related Themes: Varaha Purana 24.24.23-25 (the deity’s compact and assignment of realms/time-limits)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Nāgas, hands folded, respectfully petition a deity for separate territories and rules; the deity listens in composed authority.","item_prompts":["Nāga leaders with multiple hoods","añjali-mudrā petition gesture","deity seated on throne/lotus","scroll-like ‘compact’ motif","symbolic boundary markers (lines, gates)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Nāgas in stylized green/blue with ornate hoods, deity frontal and calm, strong outlines, ritualized symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: deity central with gold halo, Nāgas in mirrored arrangement, embossed jewelry, architectural arch framing the ‘court’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined courtly scene, soft gradients, emphasis on respectful body language and dignified faces.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative petition scene with delicate landscape hints, Nāga hoods as rhythmic curves, gentle palette and expressive eyes."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"supplicatory and formal","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, respectful, petition-like"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaishnavism
• Dharma-śāstra Themes

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a recurring Purāṇic concern with regulated coexistence—articulating boundaries (maryādā), designated spaces (sthāna), and negotiated norms (samaya) between different communities or beings, a motif that parallels early South Asian ideas of jurisdiction and social order.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym or pilgrimage site is named in this verse; it focuses on the principle of allocating distinct places rather than identifying a particular location.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds the ethical principle of orderly coexistence: distinct boundaries, spaces, and mutually recognized rules are requested to reduce conflict and maintain social equilibrium.