Varaha Purana 113.8: Adhyaya 113, Shloka 8
Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry
Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue
Pūrva Bhāga · Sanatkumāra’s question: what wonder was seen?
विष्णुना धार्यमाणा च किं त्वया दृष्टमद्भुतम् ॥ एतदाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन यत्ते हरिमुखाच्छ्रुतम् ॥
viṣṇunā dhāryamāṇā ca kiṃ tvayā dṛṣṭam adbhutam || etad ācakṣva tattvena yat te hari-mukhāc chrutam ||
viShNunA dhAryamANA cha kiM tvayA dRRiShTamadbhutam || etadAchakShva tattvena yatte harimukhAchChrutam
ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଧାରିତ ହୋଇଥିବା ତୁମେ କେଉଁ ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ ଦେଖିଲ? ହରିଙ୍କ ମୁଖରୁ ତୁମେ ଯାହା ଶୁଣିଛ, ତାହାକୁ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱାନୁସାରେ ସତ୍ୟରେ କହ।
Sandhi Notes
- हरिमुखाच्छ्रुतम् = हरि + मुखात् + श्रुतम् (छ्-आगमः/संयोगः: मुखात् + श्रुतम् → मुखाच्छ्रुतम्)
Sanatkumāra
Curious and reflective; stabilized yet awed by what she witnessed
What extraordinary marvel did you see while being upheld by Viṣṇu, and what true teaching did you hear directly from Hari?
True knowledge is to be reported ‘tattvena’; what is heard from the Lord (Hari-mukha) is authoritative and must be conveyed without distortion.
When teaching scripture or recounting sacred experience, prioritize fidelity, clarity, and humility—separating wonder (adbhuta) from exaggeration.
Earth is ‘upheld by Viṣṇu’ (dhāryamāṇā): a sustaining/supporting relation; the verse asks her to report marvels seen/heard from Hari.
‘Upholding’ (dhāraṇa) points to Viṣṇu as the cosmic support (adhāra) and to Varāha as the stabilizing principle that lifts and sustains the world—ritual and metaphysical order.
The key image is dhāraṇa: the Lord as the support/pillar of the cosmos, with Earth as the supported oblation/field.
Viṣṇu/Hari as Brahman-support (adhiṣṭhāna) of nāma-rūpa; reliable śabda-pramāṇa (‘heard from Hari’s mouth’) as a privileged means of knowledge.
Speak truthfully (tattvena) when transmitting what was heard from the Lord; testimony must be faithful to the source.
Truthful transmission preserves dharma and yields clarity/merit; distortion of divine teaching leads to confusion and demerit.
Hari/Viṣṇu epithets are compatible with Kṛṣṇa theology, but no Mathurā-specific cue here.
Leads into Pṛthivī’s reply at 113.9 and the soteriological content at 113.11
FAQs
It highlights a Purāṇic epistemic norm: reliable teaching is framed as 'heard from the deity’s mouth' and to be reported 'tattvena' (truthfully).
No location is identified; the focus is on the act of truthful reporting and the Earth’s experience.
Truthful narration and fidelity to received teaching (accurate transmission) are presented as key virtues.
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