Varaha Purana 24.13: Adhyaya 24, Shloka 13
The Birth of the Nāgas, Brahmā’s Curse, and the Pañcamī Observance
अहन्यहनि ये देव पश्येयुरुरगादृशा । मनुष्यपशुरूपं वा तत्सर्वं भस्मसाद् भवेत् ॥ २४.१३ ॥
ahany ahani ye deva paśyeyur uragādṛśā | manuṣyapaśurūpaṃ vā tat sarvaṃ bhasmasād bhavet || 24.13 ||
Wahai Deva, apa sahaja yang mereka pandang hari demi hari dengan tatapan seperti ular—sama ada berwujud manusia atau binatang—semuanya akan menjadi abu.
Varāha (default speaker framework; explicit attribution not present in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
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":"The 'serpent-gaze' that turns beings to ashes evokes destructive dr̥ṣṭi as a metaphor for adharma’s corrosive perception; cosmic order requires a countervailing divine sight (anugraha-dṛṣṭi) that preserves.","vedantic_connection":"Dṛṣṭi as power: when aligned with tamas it annihilates; when aligned with īśvara it sustains. The verse dramatizes the need for sattvic governance of power."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethical psychology","core_concept":"Perception (dṛṣṭi) is not neutral; hostile, distorted vision becomes destructive to life and order.","practical_application":"Guard one’s own 'gaze' (intent, attention) and seek protective disciplines (mantra, devotion, righteous conduct) against harmful influences."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Conduct","Protective/Apotropaic Motifs"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: mythic-cosmic (general)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: motifs of destructive beings and the need for divine intervention
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Serpent-eyed beings casting a scorching gaze; humans and animals threatened, with ash and smoke motifs; a protective divine presence implied off-scene or as a counter-light.","item_prompts":["serpent-like eyes or hooded silhouettes","beam-like gaze turning forms to ash","humans and animals in peril","swirling ash/smoke","protective light at edge of frame"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic side-panel of nāga-gaze as stylized rays, ash motifs, strong narrative contrast with a calm protective aura nearby.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: high-contrast menace with gilded protective halo element, ash rendered as patterned texture, figures frozen mid-transformation.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined depiction of fear and motion, subtle smoke gradients, emphasis on narrative clarity over horror.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: expressive, storybook-like transformation scene, serpents as symbolic dark forms, ash clouds in soft washes."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ominous-warning","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"grave, cautionary, slightly forceful"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic rhetorical style where moral caution and protective imagery (e.g., destructive or harmful “gaze”) are used to frame conduct and consequences within a sacred narrative setting.
No explicit geographic toponym appears in this isolated verse; any location-based identification would depend on the surrounding Adhyāya 24 context (often associated in manuscripts with tīrtha or māhātmya material).
The verse cautions against a harmful or hostile mode of looking/intent (“serpent-like gaze”), presenting it as leading to destructive outcomes—an ethical warning framed through vivid consequence imagery.
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