Varaha Purana 187.121: Adhyaya 187, Shloka 121
Determination of the Origin and Procedure of the Ancestral Offering
Pitṛyajña/Śrāddha
भीतो गद्गदया वाचा निःश्वसंश्च मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ सव्रीडो भाषते विप्रः कारुण्येन समन्वितः ॥
bhīto gadgadayā vācā niḥśvasaṁś ca muhur muhuḥ || savrīḍo bhāṣate vipraḥ kāruṇyena samanvitaḥ ||
Dalam ketakutan, dengan suara tersekat oleh rasa haru dan berulang kali menghela nafas, sang brāhmaṇa berkata—malu, namun dipenuhi belas kasihan.
Narrator (speaker not explicit in excerpt; within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue frame)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Moral psychology in dharma-narrative","core_concept":"True ethical speech can arise even amid fear and shame when compassion is present; vulnerability becomes a doorway to dharmic correction.","practical_application":"When confessing error or delivering difficult truth, speak with humility (vrīḍā) and compassion (kāruṇya), not aggression."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Emotional states in narrative discourse"]
Primary Rasa: Karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Type: Narrative interpersonal setting
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: continuation likely contains the brāhmaṇa’s explanation/confession and its dharmic resolution
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa, visibly shaken, speaks with a trembling, choked voice; repeated sighs and downcast eyes show shame, yet his face softens with compassion.","item_prompts":["brāhmaṇa with trembling hands","downcast gaze","visible breath/sigh lines","listeners seated in silence","simple āśrama background","subtle tearful eyes or tightened throat"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: expressive mukha-bhāva with controlled stylization, minimal background, emphasis on gesture and eyes to convey karuṇa/bhaya.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central figure with ornate framing but subdued palette, gold accents restrained, focus on emotional expression.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced facial expression, delicate shading around eyes/throat, quiet audience presence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate close-group scene, lyrical lines, emphasis on emotion through posture and slight head tilt."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Pathos-filled and intimate","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"Slow with breath-like pauses","voice_tone":"Soft, trembling, compassionate"}
FAQs
It illustrates a common Purāṇic narrative technique: ethical instruction is framed through embodied emotion (fear, shame, compassion), reflecting classical Sanskrit storytelling norms.
No geographic location is named in this verse.
The verse foregrounds compassionate speech even under fear or shame, presenting kāruṇya as a valued disposition in discourse.
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