Varaha Purana 5.19 — Adhyaya 5, Shloka 19
Reconciliation of Action and Knowledge: Offering All Acts to Nārāyaṇa and the Hymn to the Yajña-Puruṣa
तत्रासीनं महायूथं हरिणानां विचक्षणः । लुब्धो निष्ठुरको नाम धनुःपाणिः कृतान्तवत् । आययौ तं जिघांसुः स धनुष्यायोज्य सायकम् ॥ ५.१९ ॥
tatrāsīnaṃ mahāyūthaṃ hariṇānāṃ vicakṣaṇaḥ | lubdho niṣṭhurako nāma dhanuḥpāṇiḥ kṛtāntavat | āyayau taṃ jighāṃsuḥ sa dhanuṣy āyojya sāyakam || 5.19 ||
Di sana, melihat sekawan besar rusa sedang berehat, seorang pemburu yang tajam penglihatan—bernama Niṣṭhuraka—dengan busur di tangan bagaikan Maut sendiri, datang dengan niat membunuh mereka, lalu memasang anak panah pada busurnya.
Varāha (default narrative frame; speaker not explicit in this verse-fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"instruction_summary":"Sets up adharma through imagery: the hunter approaches like Kṛtānta (Death), preparing violence against a resting herd—an ethical tension point.","karmic_consequence":"Implied demerit/pāpa from needless killing; explicit result not stated in this verse."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics (ahiṃsā) via narrative contrast","core_concept":"Hiṃsā is portrayed as deathlike and disruptive of natural harmony; moral discernment arises by witnessing intent before action.","practical_application":"Recognize early signs of harmful intent and intervene before violence is enacted; cultivate compassion toward vulnerable beings."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ecology","Narrative Literature"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: forest
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: recurring use of forest episodes to teach ahiṃsā and restraint
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A large herd of deer rests in the forest while a hard-eyed hunter named Niṣṭhuraka arrives, bow raised, arrow nocked, looming like Death.","item_prompts":["resting deer herd","hunter with bow and fitted arrow","tense diagonal composition","shadowed forest edge","contrast of calm animals vs predatory posture"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized deer cluster, hunter in dynamic stance, strong outlines, dramatic but controlled palette emphasizing tension.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate framing with gold highlights on bow/arrow; deer rendered in rhythmic pattern; hunter’s fierce gaze emphasized.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: naturalistic forest depth; detailed deer anatomy; hunter’s taut musculature and poised arrow.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: crisp narrative vignette; deer in a gentle clearing, hunter entering from side, expressive minimalism and clear storytelling."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"tense, foreboding","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"grave, sharpened consonants, suspense-building"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif—an encounter between vulnerable wildlife and a human aggressor—used to set up subsequent moral, karmic, or didactic developments in the storyline.
No specific toponym is given in this verse; it situates the scene generically (“tatra,” ‘there’), likely within a forest setting implied by the presence of a deer herd.
The verse foregrounds intention (jighāṃsuḥ, ‘wishing to kill’) and the portrayal of cruelty (niṣṭhura-) as ethically charged narrative signals, preparing a reflective stance on violence toward living beings.
Ask anything about this verse
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