Varaha Purana 215.32 — Adhyaya 215, Shloka 32
Description of the Māhātmya of Gokarṇeśvara and Jaleśvara (Śaileśvara) in the Śleṣmātaka Forest
यद्यहं सशरीरः स्यां गृहीत्वा स्थापितोऽभवम् ॥ तदा चतुष्पात्सकलो धर्मः स्यात्प्रतिपादितः ॥
yady ahaṁ saśarīraḥ syāṁ gṛhītvā sthāpito 'bhavam || tadā catuṣpāt sakalo dharmaḥ syāt pratipāditaḥ ||
“Jika aku, bersama tubuhku, ditangkap lalu ditegakkan pada tempatnya, maka seluruh Dharma—yang berdiri di atas empat kaki—akan ditegakkan dengan sempurna.”
The wondrous mṛga / unseen speaker
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","key_question":"What would it take for dharma in its full fourfold integrity to be established?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Dharma is ‘four-footed’ (complete) only when its full structure is properly established, not by partial measures.","karmic_consequence":"Incomplete establishment yields diminished dharma (crippled order); complete establishment supports social-cosmic stability and merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ‘four feet of dharma’ evokes the classical image of dharma’s stability; capturing the ‘whole-bodied’ principle would have grounded order, whereas fragments cannot bear the weight of the world.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Whole body = complete yajña/dharma-system; horn-only = isolated rite or symbol without the supporting limbs (ethics, truth, restraint, compassion).","vedantic_connection":"Wholeness (pūrṇatā) is the condition for true establishment; partial appropriation cannot instantiate cosmic order (dharma as ontic principle)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma ontology","core_concept":"Dharma is an integrated whole; stability arises from completeness, not from isolated components.","practical_application":"Build practice on all supports (truthfulness, purity, compassion, discipline—contextually the ‘four feet’) rather than single-point religiosity."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Dharma Theory","Didactic Counterfactual"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: instructional/narrative locus
Related Themes: 215.34.0; 215.36.0
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A conceptual tableau: the unseen speaker evokes dharma as a four-legged being/structure that would have stood firm if the whole mṛga were installed.","item_prompts":["symbolic four-legged dharma motif","unseen teacher voice","devas contemplating","contrast: whole body vs horn fragment"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Allegorical Kerala mural: dharma personified as a four-legged pedestal/animal; devas in reflective poses; stylized inscriptions.","tanjore_prompt":"Iconic, gold-backed allegory: a four-footed dharma pedestal glowing; horn fragment shown small to one side.","mysore_prompt":"Classical allegory with refined detailing; dharma as stable quadruped form; subdued, contemplative palette.","pahari_prompt":"Poetic miniature: dharma as a four-legged stool/animal silhouette; devas seated in counsel; airy composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn and instructive","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"measured, authoritative"}
FAQs
The 'four-footed dharma' formula is a widely attested Indic ethical metaphor, useful for tracing the transmission of dharma-theory across Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra discourse.
No geographic site is referenced in this verse.
Ethical order is portrayed as requiring completeness and proper establishment; partial or superficial capture cannot ground a stable moral framework.
Ask anything about this verse
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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.