Varaha Purana 125.64: Adhyaya 125, Shloka 64
The Cycle of Māyā
Illusory Causation and Perceptual Reversal
देवा अपि न जानन्ति विष्णुमायाविमोहिताः ॥ ततो मम वचः श्रुत्वा स च ब्राह्मणपुङ्गवः ॥
devā api na jānanti viṣṇu-māyā-vimohitāḥ || tato mama vacaḥ śrutvā sa ca brāhmaṇa-puṅgavaḥ ||
“Bahkan para dewa pun tidak memahami, kerana diperdaya oleh māyā Viṣṇu.” Lalu setelah mendengar kata-kataku, brāhmaṇa yang mulia itu…
Varāha (default dialogue framework; first-person 'mama' indicates narrator/teacher voice)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha speaks as narrator/teacher within the Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue frame, addressing cosmic epistemic limits."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, receptive to instruction about māyā and the limits of devas","key_question":"Why do even the devas fail to know the truth—how does Viṣṇu’s māyā veil knowledge?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha (Viṣṇu) is presented as the transcendent controller of māyā; even divine beings are conditioned knowers, implying Brahman/Īśvara as the ground beyond māyā.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit: the Lord as the hidden director of cosmic order; no explicit limb-to-yajña mapping in this verse.","vedantic_connection":"Māyā as avidyā/āvaraṇa-śakti limiting jīvas and devas alike; true knowledge depends on īśvara-anugraha and śāstra-upadeśa."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"epistemology/theology","core_concept":"Even devas are not omniscient; Viṣṇu’s māyā can delude all conditioned knowers.","practical_application":"Cultivate humility; rely on guru/śāstra and devotion rather than status or power for true discernment."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology (devas as limited knowers)","Philosophy of Māyā","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 125.73–77 (brāhmaṇa’s māyā-driven request and tīrtha-rite sequence)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha as a serene divine teacher speaking to Bhū-devī about māyā; a brāhmaṇa listens nearby, poised to respond.","item_prompts":["Varāha enthroned or standing in calm posture","Bhū-devī attentive, hands folded","a brāhmaṇa in ascetic attire listening","subtle aura suggesting māyā (veil-like motif)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Varāha with luminous halo, Bhū-devī in graceful tribhaṅga, warm earthy palette, stylized veil motif indicating māyā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Varāha with embossed gold halo and ornaments, Bhū-devī at side, minimal background, gold-leaf veil pattern for māyā.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate linework, soft shading; Varāha teaching gesture (vyākhyāna-mudrā), Bhū-devī listening; subdued cosmic backdrop.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate teaching scene in a pavilion; Varāha and Bhū-devī seated; brāhmaṇa respectfully near; pale washes with symbolic veil-clouds."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative, didactic","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"steady, authoritative, reflective"}
FAQs
It documents a widespread Purāṇic motif: even divine beings are depicted as epistemically limited, reinforcing the narrative authority of the instructor figure.
No geographic toponym appears in this verse.
Humility in knowledge-claims: if even devas can be deluded, human inquiry should be cautious and ethically grounded.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.