Varaha Purana 28.4: Adhyaya 28, Shloka 4
The Manifestation of Māyā as Durgā/Kātyāyanī and the Slaying of Vaitrāsura
प्रजापाल उवाच । कथं तस्य द्विजश्रेष्ठ शक्रेणापकृतं भवेत् । येनासौ तद्विनाशाय पुत्रमिच्छन् व्रते स्थितः ॥ २८.४ ॥
prajāpāla uvāca | kathaṃ tasya dvijaśreṣṭha śakreṇāpakṛtaṃ bhavet | yenāsau tadvināśāya putram icchan vrate sthitaḥ || 28.4 ||
Prajāpāla berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara kaum dwija, bagaimana mungkin Śakra (Indra) telah melakukan sesuatu yang memudaratkannya, sehingga dia—dengan hasrat akan seorang putera untuk kebinasaan itu—tetap teguh dalam nazarnya?”
Prajāpāla
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative pattern in which Indra (Śakra) is implicated in obstructing or testing ascetic aims, reflecting the literary culture of vows (vrata) and their perceived efficacy in early Sanskrit narrative traditions.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is framed as a dialogue question about causation and agency (Indra’s involvement) rather than a tīrtha or place-description.
The verse foregrounds ethical scrutiny of harmful action (apakṛta) and emphasizes the seriousness of vowed discipline (vrata) as a deliberate, goal-oriented commitment, inviting evaluation of intention and consequence.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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.
