Varaha Purana 4.26 — Adhyaya 4, Shloka 26
On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā
इति राजवचः श्रुत्वा तदा तौ मुनिपुङ्गवौ । चक्रतुः परमां मायां योगमायां विशेषतः ॥ ४.२६ ॥
iti rājavacaḥ śrutvā tadā tau munipuṅgavau | cakratuḥ paramāṃ māyāṃ yogamāyāṃ viśeṣataḥ || 4.26 ||
രാജവചനങ്ങൾ കേട്ടപ്പോൾ ആ രണ്ടു മുനിപുങ്ഗവന്മാർ അപ്പോൾ പരമമായ മായയെ—വിശേഷിച്ച് യോഗമായയെ—പ്രയോഗിച്ചു.
Narrator (default framework: Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue context; verse itself is third-person narration)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Yogamāyā here functions as the divine-like power of controlled manifestation: sages can project forms to instruct and test perception, echoing Purāṇic themes where māyā veils/reveals truth.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"Māyā as upādhi: appearance engineered without altering ultimate reality; yogic siddhi used as pedagogical device within dharma-narrative."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"yoga","core_concept":"Perception can be shaped by higher powers; discernment requires humility and guidance from realized sages.","practical_application":"Do not absolutize first impressions; seek pramāṇa (reliable means of knowledge) and the counsel of the wise."}
Subject Matter: ["Narrative","Yogic powers (māyā)","Sage–king interaction"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: courtly-ritual space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 4.4.24 (king’s doubt prompts response); Varāha Purāṇa 4.4.27 (resulting manifested forms)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two eminent sages, after hearing the king, concentrate and unleash yogic māyā—air shimmering as new forms begin to appear before the assembly.","item_prompts":["two sages in meditation posture","aura or shimmering heat-haze","astonished courtiers","subtle lotus motifs foreshadowing next verse","gesture of siddhi (mudrā)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sages with pronounced halos; stylized wave-like māyā patterns between them and the court; balanced composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold highlights for the māyā aura; sages with embossed halos; court as smaller figures; ornate frame-like borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: fine gradations for the shimmering air; detailed sage features; restrained but luminous palette.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: graphic depiction of “māyā” as swirling bands; sages seated on simple mats; court in pavilion watching."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"mysterious, concentrated","suggested_raga":"Marwa","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"focused, slightly hushed emphasis on परमां मायां योगमायां"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative device in which sages respond to royal speech by deploying yogic or extraordinary means, illustrating the literary trope of ascetic authority interacting with kingship.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition focusing on the sages’ action rather than a place-reference.
The verse does not present a direct ethical injunction; its philosophical emphasis is on yogic agency—how disciplined knowledge (yoga) is portrayed as enabling controlled manifestation (māyā) within the narrative.
Ask anything about this verse
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