Varaha Purana 37.31 — Adhyaya 37, Shloka 31
The Threefold Discipline (Mental, Physical, Verbal) and the Salvific Power of Hearing Nārāyaṇa’s Name
परवक्त्रगतस्यापि विष्णोर्नाम श्रुतं मया । लब्धद्वेषस्य विप्राणां प्रत्यक्षं तव सत्तम ॥ ३७.३१ ॥
paravaktragatasyāpi viṣṇor nāma śrutaṃ mayā | labdhadveṣasya viprāṇāṃ pratyakṣaṃ tava sattama || 37.31 ||
മറ്റൊരാളുടെ വായിൽ നിന്നുപോലും ഞാൻ വിഷ്ണുനാമം കേട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ സത്തമാ, ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരിൽ ഉദിച്ച വൈരം നിന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ വ്യക്തമാണ്.
Pṛthivī (defaulted per dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"dialogue","earth_interaction":"Bhū-devī speaks to Varāha, reporting the power of hearing Viṣṇu’s name and lamenting visible brāhmaṇa enmity."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"concerned and burdened by social discord; yet heartened by nāma-śravaṇa","key_question":"How can sacred name-hearing coexist with, or remedy, the manifest hostility among brāhmaṇas?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Social harmony—especially among brāhmaṇas—is a visible dharmic necessity; factional hatred is a public moral crisis requiring correction.","karmic_consequence":"Implied: brāhmaṇa-dveṣa fractures dharma and invites collective decline; conversely, honoring sacred speech and concord supports welfare."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"‘Name heard from another’s mouth’ underscores śabda as transpersonal grace; the cosmic sustainer (Viṣṇu) operates through communal speech even amid social fracture—Varāha’s role is to re-stabilize the ‘earth’ of society.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Vāk as shared oblation; the ‘other’s mouth’ as an altar where Viṣṇu-nāma is offered; society as yajña-field disturbed by dveṣa.","vedantic_connection":"Bhakti via śravaṇa is not limited by personal agency; grace can arise through incidental contact (saṅga), yet ethical purification (dveṣa-śānti) remains necessary."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti-ethics","core_concept":"Nāma-śravaṇa has intrinsic sanctifying power, but social hatred—especially among dharma-bearers—must be addressed for dharma to stand.","practical_application":"Promote reconciliation among religious leaders; prioritize śravaṇa of Viṣṇu-nāma while actively reducing factionalism and envy."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Social Harmony","Sacred Speech (nāma-śravaṇa)"]
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: 37.37.30 (hearing ‘namo Nārāyaṇa’ at death); 37.37.33 (brāhmaṇas as moving gods; truth-assertion)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhū-devī addresses Varāha with a worried expression, gesturing toward a distant group of brāhmaṇas shown in dispute; a subtle ribbon of ‘Viṣṇu-nāma’ sound flows through the scene.","item_prompts":["Bhū-devī speaking posture","Varāha listening calmly","group of brāhmaṇas arguing (raised hands)","floating mantra ribbon ‘विष्णोर्नाम’","contrast of discord vs sanctifying sound"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Bhū-devī in ornate attire, expressive eyes; background vignette of disputing brāhmaṇas; mantra ribbon in gold/white; flat decorative foliage.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Bhū-devī and Varāha with gold halos; small inset panel of brāhmaṇa quarrel; embossed mantra band.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, refined expressions; emphasis on Bhū-devī’s concern; soft background dispute scene; delicate calligraphy for mantra.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature, narrative split-scene: foreground dialogue, background quarrel; cool hills/trees; fine linework and gentle colors."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reflective, concerned","suggested_raga":"Kafi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"earnest, slightly plaintive"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic concern with the social-ethical consequences of speech and communal discord, presenting moral observation within a didactic dialogue format typical of Sanskrit narrative literature.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is thematic (speech, hearing, and social hostility) rather than topographical.
The verse foregrounds the visibility and seriousness of hostility within respected social groups, implicitly positioning attentive hearing and responsible speech as ethically consequential in maintaining social harmony.
Ask anything about this verse
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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.