Varaha Purana 47.10 — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 10
The Rite of Śrāvaṇa Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī (Dāmodara Worship) and the Exemplum of King Nṛga
एकाकी तत्र राजा तु अश्वं मुच्य तरोरधः । स्वयं कुशमथास्तीर्य सुप्तो दुःखसमन्वितः ॥ ४७.१० ॥
ekākī tatra rājā tu aśvaṃ mucya taror adhaḥ | svayaṃ kuśam athāstīrya supto duḥkha-samanvitaḥ || 47.10 ||
അവിടെ രാജാവ് ഒറ്റയ്ക്കായിരുന്നു; വൃക്ഷത്തിൻ കീഴെ കുതിരയെ വിട്ട്, താനേ കുശപ്പുല്ല് വിരിച്ച്, ദുഃഖഭാരത്തോടെ ഉറങ്ങി।
Varāha (default narrative framework; speaker not explicit in the excerpt)
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":"instructor","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":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Kuśa is used as a pure seat/bed in distress, signaling adherence to śauca and self-restraint even in adversity.","karmic_consequence":"Maintaining ritual-purity and restraint in संकट supports dharmic clarity; neglect tends toward tamas (carelessness) and vulnerability."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of kingship in adversity","core_concept":"Even a king, stripped of retinue, is reduced to the human condition; sorrow and solitude reveal impermanence of royal security.","practical_application":"In personal ‘exile’ moments, preserve basic disciplines (cleanliness, simplicity, non-panic) to keep judgment steady."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites","Literary Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tree-shelter / forest clearing
Related Themes: Lead-in to the hunters’ arrival and the moral crisis around violence and greed
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solitary king dismounts, loosens his horse beneath a tree, spreads kuśa grass, and lies down in sorrowful sleep.","item_prompts":["large tree with spreading roots","horse tethered/standing quietly","kuśa grass mat","king with royal ornaments but weary face","moonlit forest floor","subtle sense of danger at edges"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king in elegant but subdued posture; stylized kuśa strokes; layered foliage framing the lonely figure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: sleeping king with gold-foil jewelry; ornate tree trunk; kuśa rendered as patterned green-gold base.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate expression of sorrow; naturalistic horse; soft moonlight; detailed textiles and ornaments.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate nocturne; simplified forms; lyrical tree canopy; emphasis on solitude and pathos."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"plaintive, contemplative","suggested_raga":"Tōḍī","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"soft, empathetic, narrative"}
FAQs
It preserves a conventional Purāṇic narrative motif—royal solitude and distress—often used to transition into instruction, vows, or encounters that frame ethical and cultural teachings.
No specific toponym is stated in this verse; it only indicates a setting beneath a tree ('taroḥ adhaḥ').
Implicitly, it highlights endurance and restraint in adversity: the king accepts hardship without excess, using simple means (kuśa grass) while in sorrow.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
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.