Varaha Purana 4.28: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 28
On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā
ददर्श राजा रक्ताक्षं कालानलसमद्युतिम् । नेत्थं भवति विश्वेशो मायैषा योगिनां सदा । सर्वव्यापी हरिः श्रीमानिति राजा जगाद ह ॥ ४.२८ ॥
dadarśa rājā raktākṣaṁ kālānala-samad-yutim | netthaṁ bhavati viśveśo māyaiṣā yogināṁ sadā | sarvavyāpī hariḥ śrīmān iti rājā jagāda ha || 4.28 ||
Raja melihatnya—bermata merah, bersinar seperti api pada akhir zaman. Lalu raja berkata: “Tuhan semesta (Viśveśa) sebenarnya bukan begini; ini adalah māyā para yogin yang senantiasa. Hari yang mulia itu meliputi segala-galanya.”
Rājā (the King; name not specified in the excerpt)
How can the terrifying, time-fire-like form be reconciled with the all-pervading, true Lord—i.e., is this appearance merely yogic māyā?
The verse contrasts a fearsome, time-ending epiphany with the doctrine of Hari’s sarvavyāpitva, framing terrifying forms as māyā/adhyāropa within yogic perception while the ultimate is the all-pervading Viṣṇu.
Māyā as appearance (pratibhāsa) versus Brahman/Īśvara as the underlying reality; the all-pervading principle (sarvavyāpī) is not limited by a single form.
Discernment between terrifying phenomenal appearance and the all-pervading Lord as ultimate reality; yogic visions can be māyā-like without negating Hari’s transcendence/immanence.
Cultivate viveka: do not absolutize visions/omens; anchor devotion and understanding in the doctrine of the all-pervading Hari.
Varāha Purāṇa 4.4.29-32 (portents and inquiry that follow this discernment)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative strategy: extraordinary or fearsome appearances are framed as māyā or a perceptual condition, while reaffirming a philosophical claim of the deity’s all-pervading nature—useful for tracing how Purāṇas integrate devotional theology with yogic vocabulary.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is primarily descriptive and philosophical rather than topographical.
The verse emphasizes discernment: do not treat a terrifying appearance as ultimate reality; instead, apply reflective judgment (viveka-like reasoning) and recognize the broader principle of pervasion (sarvavyāpti) rather than being led by surface perception.
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