Varaha Purana 41.28 — Adhyaya 41, Shloka 28
Rite of the Varāha Dvādaśī Vow and an Exemplary Narrative on Expiation for Brahmin-Slaying
ते चाप्येकतरॊर्मूले मृगचर्मोपवीतिनः । जपन्तः संस्थितास्ते हि राज्ञा दृष्ट्वा मृगा इति । मत्वा विद्धास्तु युगपन्मृतास्ते ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥ ४१.२८ ॥
te cāpy ekataror mūle mṛgacarmopavītinaḥ | japantaḥ saṃsthitās te hi rājñā dṛṣṭvā mṛgā iti | matvā viddhās tu yugapan mṛtās te brahmavādinaḥ || 41.28 ||
Mereka juga, berselempang kulit rusa sebagai pakaian suci, berdiri di pangkal sebatang pokok sambil berzikir/berjapa. Namun raja, melihat mereka, menyangka, “Itu rusa”; lalu memanah mereka serentak, dan para pengucap ajaran Brahman itu pun mati bersama-sama.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Misrecognition does not erase the gravity of harming brāhmaṇa-ascetics; such an act demands expiation under a guru/ṛṣi’s guidance.","karmic_consequence":"Unexpiated, it ripens as brahmahatyā-like demerit (fear, downfall, hellish results); expiation restores moral order and royal legitimacy."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"epistemic ethics (knowledge as prerequisite to dharma)","core_concept":"Avidyā (mistaken cognition) can generate grave karma; outward appearance (mṛgacarma) can conceal inner brahma-vidyā.","practical_application":"Suspend impulsive action; verify targets/contexts; honor signs of ascetic practice (japa, upavīta/garb) even when disguised."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship (rājadharma)","Non-violence and misrecognition","Ascetic life"]
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: sacred grove / tree-base (vṛkṣa-mūla āśrama-space)
Related Themes: 41.41.29 (king’s fear and brahmahatyā question); 41.41.31 (ṛṣi promises removal of pāpa)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Ascetics wearing deer-skin stand under a tree reciting; the king, mistaking them for deer, releases arrows; the sages fall together.","item_prompts":["large tree with visible roots","ascetics with mṛgacarma upper garment and upavīta","japa posture (hands in mālā/añjali)","king drawing bow","arrows mid-flight","moment of realization implied by stillness breaking"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized tree and figures, ascetics with deer-skin drape, rhythmic repetition of bodies, dramatic diagonal arrows, restrained facial emotion but strong gesture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central tree with embossed gold highlights; king with gold ornaments; arrows rendered with metallic sheen; fallen sages with serene faces to stress tragedy.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed anatomy and cloth texture, expressive faces—king’s focused gaze, sages’ meditative calm interrupted; chiaroscuro under the tree canopy.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: delicate line, soft forest colors, poignant stillness; arrows as thin diagonals; emphasis on narrative irony (saints mistaken as deer)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave and tragic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-medium (with a pause at ‘mṛgā iti matvā’)","voice_tone":"somber, weighty, emphasizing the shock of error"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic ethical motif: a ruler’s error in perception leading to unintended harm, used to frame discussions on restraint, verification, and accountability within rājadharma.
No explicit place-name appears in this verse; the setting is described only as “the root of a certain tree,” so a secure modern geographic identification is not possible from this fragment alone.
The verse highlights the moral risk of acting on assumption—especially by those with power—implying the need for discernment and careful verification before causing harm.
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