Varaha Purana 8.23 — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 23
Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices
Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna
दृष्ट्वा व्रीहीन् सगोधूमान् धर्मव्याधो वरासनात् । उत्थाय गन्तुमारभे मतङ्गेन निवारितः ॥ ८.२३ ॥
dṛṣṭvā vrīhīn sa-godhūmān dharmavyādho varāsanāt | utthāya gantum ārabhe mataṅgena nivāritaḥ || 8.23 ||
Setelah melihat butir beras bersama gandum, Dharma-vyādha bangkit dari tempat duduknya yang mulia dan mula hendak beredar; namun dia ditahan oleh Mataṅga.
Varāha (default narrative voice, speaker not explicit in fragment)
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":"None","instruction_summary":"A conscientious person may refuse food when the giver’s livelihood is tainted by harm; restraint in acceptance is part of ethical conduct.","karmic_consequence":"Accepting impure/violent-sourced food is implied to entangle one in the giver’s demerit; refusing preserves one’s moral clarity (śuddhi)."}
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":"ethics (inner conscience)","core_concept":"True righteousness expresses itself as immediate bodily action—rising to leave—when conscience detects moral inconsistency.","practical_application":"When faced with ethically compromised hospitality, respond without aggression: withdraw respectfully, and be ready to explain your principle."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Narrative Literature","Social Conduct"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: assembly/guest-seat (varāsana)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 8.8.24 (Mataṅga questions the departure); Varāha Purāṇa 8.8.25 (explicit charge of mass killing)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Dharma-vyādha, after seeing the grains, rises from an honored seat to depart; Mataṅga reaches out or gestures to stop him.","item_prompts":["hunter rising from a fine seat (varāsana)","Mataṅga’s restraining hand/gesture","baskets of grains nearby","expressions: resolve vs. questioning","interior of hermitage/house"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic gesture—Mataṅga’s palm raised in restraint; Dharma-vyādha mid-stand; bold contours, restrained palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate seat with gold accents; dramatic freeze-frame of rising; gold highlights on textiles; minimal background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant posture transition; subtle facial emotion; detailed textiles of the seat; soft lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative moment with flowing lines; expressive hands; warm domestic tones; baskets as bright color spots."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"tense but controlled","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, slightly urgent"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative strategy: ethical instruction is conveyed through exempla (model characters), here featuring the ‘dharma-vyādha’ and the sage Mataṅga, illustrating norms of conduct within story form.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse fragment; it is situational (a seated setting and an attempted departure) rather than topographical.
The verse foregrounds restraint and counsel within interpersonal conduct: even when one is ready to act (to depart), a respected interlocutor (Mataṅga) may intervene, implying the value of deliberation and guidance in ethical decision-making.
Ask anything about this verse
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