Varaha Purana 130.8: Adhyaya 130, Shloka 8
Expiation and Dietary Discipline Concerning the Consumption of Royal Food
rājānna
श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ शुद्धा भागवता भूत्वा मम कर्मपरायणाः ॥ ये तु भुञ्जन्ति राजान्नं लोभेन च भयेन वा ॥
śrīvarāha uvāca | śuddhā bhāgavatā bhūtvā mama karmaparāyaṇāḥ | ye tu bhuñjanti rājānnaṃ lobhena ca bhayena vā ||
Śrī Varāha bersabda: “Walaupun telah menjadi bhāgavata yang suci dan berpegang teguh pada laku yang Aku tetapkan, namun mereka yang tetap memakan rājānna kerana tamak atau kerana takut—”
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Instructional address within the Varāha–Bhū dialogue; ethical warning implied toward Bhū-devī’s welfare"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Even a purified bhāgavata devoted to the Lord’s conduct should not partake of rājānna (king’s food/royal patronage) when motivated by greed or fear.","karmic_consequence":"Such compromised dependence stains dharma and leads to severe demerit (expanded as naraka in the following verse)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma-ethics (niṣkāmatā and integrity)","core_concept":"External devotion without inner freedom from lobha/bhaya collapses into adharma through compromised livelihood and dependence.","practical_application":"Avoid accepting/consuming benefits tied to coercion, fear, or greed; keep one’s sustenance and choices aligned with sattva and dharma."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Dharma","Social Conduct"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 130.9.0 (naraka-phala for rājānna); Varāha Purāṇa 130.12.0 (Bhū’s inquiry into kings’ fault)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha/Nārāyaṇa in a teaching posture, addressing the theme of moral compromise—devotees tempted by royal food through greed or fear.","item_prompts":["Varāha as divine teacher (no explicit boar traits required)","Bhū-devī listening nearby","royal platter/anna as symbolic object","gesture of admonition (abhaya/teaching mudrā)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Nārāyaṇa-Varāha as guru-figure with ornate jewelry, Bhū-devī seated respectfully, a stylized royal food tray shown as a cautionary symbol; warm reds/ochres, clear linework.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Varāha/Nārāyaṇa with gold-leaf halo, Bhū-devī at side, a small gilded rājānna platter below; emphasis on didactic gesture and rich ornament.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined courtly palette, Varāha teaching with subtle expression, Bhū-devī attentive; rājānna depicted minimally as a moral emblem.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate dialogue scene in a pavilion-like setting, simplified forms, expressive faces; rājānna tray near the foreground as narrative cue."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, instructive, slightly grave"}
FAQs
It reflects an older South Asian ethical concern with the moral provenance of sustenance—especially food tied to political power and patronage.
No location is specified; the focus is normative ethics rather than sacred geography.
Purity is not only ritual; it includes examining motives—consumption driven by greed or fear is ethically compromised.
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.