Varaha Purana 12.1 — Adhyaya 12, Shloka 1
Supratīka’s Hymn to Rāma and the Granting of a Boon through Divine Manifestation
श्रीवराह उवाच । ततः पुत्रं रथाङ्गाग्निदग्धं श्रुत्वा नृपोत्तमः । सुप्रतीकः प्रतीतात्मा चिन्तयामास पार्थिवः । तस्य चिन्तयतस्त्वेवं तदा बुद्धिरजायत ॥ १२.१ ॥
śrīvarāha uvāca | tataḥ putraṃ rathāṅgāgnidagdhaṃ śrutvā nṛpottamaḥ | supratīkaḥ pratītātmā cintayāmāsa pārthivaḥ | tasya cintayatastv evaṃ tadā buddhir ajāyata || 12.1 ||
Śrī Varāha bersabda: Kemudian, setelah mendengar bahawa puteranya telah terbakar oleh api cakra (rathāṅga), raja yang utama—Supratīka, pemerintah yang berjiwa tenang—tenggelam dalam renungan. Ketika baginda merenung demikian, suatu ketetapan (haluan fikiran) pun timbul dalam benaknya.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"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":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A ruler must respond to calamity with composed deliberation (pratīta-ātmā) and dharmic resolve rather than impulsive vengeance or despair.","karmic_consequence":"Composed, dharma-aligned decision-making preserves kingdom and merit; rash action born of grief leads to adharma, instability, and future suffering."}
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 grief and duty","core_concept":"Sorrow is inevitable, but dharma is chosen: the disciplined mind converts shock into buddhi (right resolve).","practical_application":"In personal loss, pause before action; seek counsel/śāstra, regulate anger, and decide from long-term dharma rather than immediate pain."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship and Governance","Narrative Literature"]
Primary Rasa: Karuna
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Type: court/kingdom (narrative space)
Related Themes: Continuation expected in 12.12 (the ‘buddhi’ that arises will unfold as instruction/narrative)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"King Supratīka, having heard of his son’s death by the fiery discus, sits in heavy contemplation; the court is subdued, and the moment captures the birth of resolve in the mind.","item_prompts":["grieving king seated on a simple throne","messenger or minister delivering news","dimmed court atmosphere","symbolic chakra/discus motif (as cause) shown as emblem or in a vignette","hands to chin/forehead indicating contemplation"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: expressive eyes and stylized gestures; king in contemplative pose, attendants subdued; chakra symbol rendered iconically; deep earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: regal king with gold ornamentation but muted posture; chakra emblem highlighted; minimal background emphasizing psychological moment.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined court scene, soft lighting; king’s composed sorrow; delicate textiles and architecture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate palace interior, lyrical lines; king in quiet grief, attendants at a respectful distance; small symbolic chakra detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave, introspective","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"low, steady, compassionate"}
FAQs
It illustrates a common Purāṇic narrative device: a royal crisis (loss of an heir) prompting reflection that leads into subsequent moral, legal, or philosophical instruction, situating the episode within the broader didactic style of Purāṇa literature.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse; it functions primarily as a narrative transition centered on the king’s response to reported events.
The verse foregrounds deliberation (cintā) and mental clarity (pratītātmā) as appropriate responses to calamity, preparing the ground for a reasoned decision rather than impulsive action.
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