Varaha Purana 28.12: Adhyaya 28, Shloka 12
The Manifestation of Māyā as Durgā/Kātyāyanī and the Slaying of Vaitrāsura
वेत्रवत्युदरे जातो नाम्ना वैत्रासुरोऽभवत् । बलवानतितेजस्वी प्राग्ज्योतिषपतिर्भवत् ॥ २८.१२ ॥
vetravaty-udare jāto nāmnā vaitrāsuro 'bhavat | balavān atitejasvī prāgjyotiṣa-patir bhavat || 28.12 ||
Dilahirkan di wilayah Vetravatī, baginda dikenali dengan nama Vaitrāsura. Berkuasa besar dan bercahaya luar biasa, baginda menjadi penguasa Prāgjyotiṣa.
Varāha (default, as speaker is not explicit in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Vetravatī (वेत्रवती)"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"identity-and-place","core_concept":"नाम/कीर्ति बहुधा देश-नदी-सम्बन्धेन निर्मीयते; भूगोलः वंशकथायाः स्मृति-वाहकः।","practical_application":"स्थानीय-परम्परा/नाम-व्युत्पत्ति-रक्षणं; इतिहास-भूगोल-सम्बन्धं ज्ञात्वा तीर्थ/प्रदेश-गौरव-समझ।"}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Genealogy","Political History (regional lordship)"]
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river-region and kingdom/city
Related Themes: 28.28.9 (वेत्रवती-परिचयः); 28.28.11 (पुत्रोत्पत्तिः)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"नदी-प्रदेश-सम्बन्धेन वीर-तेजस्वी बालक/युवकः ‘वैत्रासुर’ इति नाम-घोषः; पृष्ठभूमौ वेत्रवती-नदी, दूरं प्राग्ज्योतिष-नगर-प्रासाद-रेखा।","item_prompts":["वेत्रवती नदी (तरङ्ग, कमल)","नाम-घोष/लेख (वैत्रासुर)","वीर-युवक (धनुष्/खड्ग संकेत)","प्राग्ज्योतिष-नगर (प्रासाद, ध्वज)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, heroic figure with strong stance, river rendered as stylized bands, distant city as iconographic silhouette, saturated colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold accents on weapons and city towers, river-goddess motif near the hero, regal composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, detailed landscape with river and city, refined armor/jewelry, calm heroic expression.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature, sweeping river curve leading to hilltop city, youthful hero in foreground, crisp linework and bright textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"genealogical-heroic","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, proclamatory on names and titles"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic-style linkage between a named figure (Vaitrāsura) and specific toponyms (Vetravatī, Prāgjyotiṣa), illustrating how regional identity and rulership are narrated through birth-location and epithet formation.
Vetravatī is named explicitly (often identified in scholarship with the Betwa river), and Prāgjyotiṣa is cited as a polity/region (commonly associated with ancient Pragjyotiṣapura in the northeast, though identifications vary by text and period).
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive; its philosophical content lies in documenting lineage, place-based identity, and the cultural importance of geography in narrating political legitimacy.
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