Varaha Purana 95.56: Adhyaya 95, Shloka 56
The Slaying of the Daitya Ruru, the Hymn to Cāmuṇḍā/Kālarātri, and the Doctrine of the Threefold Power
कालेन महता चासौ लोकपालपुराण्यथ । जिगीषुः सैन्यसंवीतो देवैर्भयमरॊचयत् ॥
kālena mahatā cāsau lokapālapurāṇy atha | jigīṣuḥ sainyasaṃvīto devair bhayam arochayat ||
Dan setelah masa yang panjang, dalam kaitan kisah-kisah purba para Lokapāla (penjaga alam), dia—berhasrat menakluk dan dikelilingi bala tentera—menimbulkan ketakutan dalam kalangan para dewa.
Narrator (default framework: Varāha → Pṛthivī, not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, seeking doctrinal clarity (implied by dialogue frame)","key_question":"How does the one śakti appear differently across guṇas and sectarian names (Vaiṣṇavī in rajas; Raudrī in tamas)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"A single underlying power is named according to guṇa-conditioned functions: rajas (activity/maintenance-expansion) is termed Vaiṣṇavī; tamas (dissolution/fierce constraint) is termed Raudrī—integrating Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva-Śākta vocabularies within one śakti-theory.","vedantic_connection":"Non-dual leaning synthesis: diverse deity-names indicate functional modalities of one śakti; guṇa-upādhi explains apparent plurality while implying an underlying unity."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"guṇa-based theology / sectarian reconciliation","core_concept":"One śakti manifests as different named goddesses depending on rajas/tamas modalities (Vaiṣṇavī/Raudrī).","practical_application":"Interpret sectarian forms as complementary functional expressions; cultivate discernment of guṇa influences in oneself and in ritual/theology."}
Subject Matter: ["Mythic Narrative","Cosmology","Conflict Motif (literary)"]
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Related Themes: Links to the ‘white/sāttvika’ higher creation statement (95.95.59) and the tri-origin soteriology claim (95.95.57)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha (as teacher) explains to Earth that the same śakti appears red as rājasic Vaiṣṇavī and dark as tāmasic Raudrī—two goddess-forms emerging from one power.","item_prompts":["two goddess aspects: red-hued Vaiṣṇavī, dark-hued Raudrī","guṇa color field (red/black)","teacher figure (Varāha or divine instructor) addressing Bhū-devī","iconic attributes hinted: Vaiṣṇavī with conch/disc; Raudrī with trident/fierce aura"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split-panel or dual-form Devī—left red Vaiṣṇavī with śaṅkha-cakra, right dark Raudrī with triśūla; Varāha teaching Bhū-devī below; bold flat colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: dual Devī icons with gold leaf; red Vaiṣṇavī richly ornamented; dark Raudrī with fierce eyes; central teaching motif; heavy halos.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant dual-portrait composition; nuanced shading for red/black guṇa tones; calm instructor presence balancing fierceness.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical two-aspect Devī scene in a landscape; subtle symbolism of red sunset (rajas) and dark night (tamas); Bhū-devī listening."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"expository, awe-tinged","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, authoritative"}
FAQs
Its phrasing suggests a narrative transition and may indicate manuscript or excerpt discontinuity; it is valuable for critical editing and verse-number reconciliation.
No geographic location is identified in the surviving line.
No explicit ethical instruction is stated; the verse functions as a narrative setup describing a conquest-intent that generates fear.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.