Varaha Purana 44.11 — Adhyaya 44, Shloka 11
The Vaiśākha Bright-Twelfth Observance: Worship of Hari as Jāmadagnya and Its Fruits
स पूजितो मुनिः प्राह किमर्थं तप्यते तपः । राजन् कथय धर्मज्ञ किं ते कार्यं विवक्षितम् ॥ ४४.११ ॥
sa pūjito muniḥ prāha kimarthaṃ tapyate tapaḥ | rājan kathaya dharmajña kiṃ te kāryaṃ vivakṣitam || 44.11 ||
Setelah dihormati dengan sewajarnya, sang muni berkata: “Atas tujuan apakah tapa ini dilakukan? Wahai raja, engkau yang mengetahui dharma, katakanlah: apakah hajat yang hendak engkau nyatakan?”
Muni (sage; interlocutor addressing the king)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","key_question":"What is the purpose (prayojana) of your tapas, and what specific aim do you seek to declare/achieve?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"A dharma-knowing king should articulate intention before undertaking severe tapas; the sage tests motive and appropriateness.","karmic_consequence":"Clear, dharmic intention invites proper upadeśa and successful fruition; unclear or adharmic intention is checked and corrected by the wise."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"intentionality and discernment (viveka)","core_concept":"Tapas without clarified aim is incomplete; dharma requires viveka about ends and means.","practical_application":"State your goal plainly to a competent guide; examine whether the goal aligns with dharma and welfare (loka-saṅgraha)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship","Ascetic Practice","Dialogue Literature"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: dialogue setting (āśrama threshold)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 44.44.12 (king’s reply: aputrata)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The honored sage speaks, gently interrogating the king’s motive; the king listens in folded-hands humility.","item_prompts":["sage seated or standing with teaching gesture (vyākhyāna-mudrā)","king attentive, slightly bowed","quiet hermitage background","sense of calm authority","minimal props: kamaṇḍalu, daṇḍa"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sage in teaching mudrā, king in añjali; strong facial expressiveness, warm tones, stylized flora.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: sage as central luminous figure with gold aura, king smaller in reverence; ornate but restrained setting.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined dialogue scene, emphasis on hand gestures and serene expressions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: conversational intimacy under a tree/near a hut, delicate lines, soft colors, focus on the spoken question."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquisitive, instructive","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, authoritative"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative technique: a formalized dialogue where a sage interrogates the motive behind ascetic practice, situating tapas within ethical and social responsibility rather than treating it as an end in itself.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is framed as a courtly-ascetic exchange (“O king”) without place-specific markers.
The verse foregrounds intentionality and accountability: austerity (tapas) should be undertaken with a clear purpose, and the agent—here a king—should articulate the intended aim in terms of dharma and duty.
Ask anything about this verse
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