Varaha Purana 138.92 — Adhyaya 138, Shloka 92
The Episode of the Khañjarīṭa Bird
and the Saukarava Tīrtha’s Merit
स कुलं तारयेत्तूर्णं दश पूर्वान्दशावरान् ॥ न पठेन्मूर्खमध्ये तु पापिष्ठे शास्त्रदूषके
sa kulaṃ tārayet tūṛṇaṃ daśa pūrvān daśāvarān || na paṭhen mūrkha-madhye tu pāpiṣṭhe śāstra-dūṣake
तो त्वरितपणे आपल्या कुलाचा उद्धार करतो—दहा पूर्वज आणि दहा उत्तरज. पण मूर्खांच्या मध्ये, विशेषतः शास्त्रदूषक महापापीसमोर, पठण करू नये.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"instructed, sober (ethical caution)","key_question":"What is the proper etiquette and audience for śāstra-recitation, and what are its salvific effects on lineage?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Recitation/hearing of the sacred text can uplift one’s lineage, but one must not recite among fools or before sinful śāstra-dūṣakas (disparagers of scripture).","karmic_consequence":"Proper recitation yields kula-tāraṇa (deliverance of ten ancestors and ten descendants); improper audience risks devaluing/dishonoring śāstra and obstructing merit (implied)."}
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 transmission (adhikāra and saṅga)","core_concept":"Śāstra is potent and socially consequential; its transmission requires adhikāra (fit audience) and avoidance of hostile company (śāstra-nindaka).","practical_application":"Choose respectful settings for pāṭha/pravacana; cultivate satsanga; protect sacred learning from ridicule and misuse while ensuring it reaches sincere seekers."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Textual Transmission"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 138.98-99 (narrative transmission frame)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-figure (Varāha as narrator) instructs about the power of recitation to save generations, while turning away from a mocking, sinful critic of scripture.","item_prompts":["teacher seated with manuscript/palm-leaf","respectful listeners in front","a dismissive figure at the side (śāstra-dūṣaka)","ancestral line imagery (ten before/after) as symbolic silhouettes","gesture of caution/avoidance"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: didactic scene with clear moral contrast—serene listeners vs. dark-toned disparager; palm-leaf manuscript, strong outlines, restrained drama.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central teacher with gold aura, manuscript; devotees in orderly rows; sidelined critic in muted tones; symbolic ancestor chain in decorative border medallions.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant instructional court-scene; manuscript detail, subtle expressions showing reverence vs. disdain; balanced composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate teaching circle; expressive faces; critic placed at edge; ancestor symbolism as faint background silhouettes or a stylized family tree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"authoritative, admonitory"}
FAQs
It reflects manuscript-era concerns about responsible transmission: sacred or authoritative texts are to be taught in appropriate settings to preserve meaning and social function.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse.
Select a suitable audience for recitation; avoid contexts where the text will be mocked, distorted, or used irresponsibly.
Ask anything about this verse
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