Varaha Purana 192.8: Adhyaya 192, Shloka 8
Description of the Universal Peace-Recitation and the Madhuparka Rite
शरणं त्वां गतो नाथ संसारार्णवतारक ॥ आगतस्त्वं च सुमुख पुनः समुचितेन वै ॥
śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ gato nātha saṃsārārṇava-tāraka || āgatas tvaṃ ca sumukha punaḥ samucitena vai ||
A Ti recorri como refúgio, ó Senhor, ó Aquele que faz atravessar o oceano da existência mundana. E Tu, de rosto gracioso, vieste novamente—de fato, de modo apropriado.
Varāha (instructional frame; mantra-voice may be reciter)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"In the mantra-voice, the devotee declares refuge in the Lord as saṃsāra-tāraka; the Lord is praised as repeatedly arriving (āgataḥ) to save—implicitly including Varāha’s descent for Earth."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","bhu_devi_state":"seeking rescue; emotionally dependent on divine aid; tone of relieved gratitude that the Lord has 'come again'","key_question":"How does one rightly take refuge in the Lord who ferries beings across saṃsāra, and how is his recurring descent understood as timely/appropriate grace?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Implicit: the idea of the Lord 'coming again' can foreshadow recurring avatāras (including Kṛṣṇa), but no explicit Mathurā marker."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Saṃsāra as an ocean and the Lord as ferryman: Varāha’s salvific descent becomes a paradigm of grace that lifts Earth and beings from the depths.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Ocean-crossing imagery aligns with yajña as a 'bridge' (setu) to the beyond; the Lord’s 'arrival' is the descent of the saving principle into the ritual/world.","vedantic_connection":"Īśvara as the upāya (means) and upeya (goal): surrender replaces self-reliance; repeated avatāra expresses compassionate governance of saṃsāra."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"śaraṇāgati and grace","core_concept":"Liberation is framed as being ferried across saṃsāra by the Lord; his 'coming again' signals timely, fitting compassion toward devotees/world.","practical_application":"Cultivate explicit refuge-prayer in crisis; interpret life’s supports and spiritual openings as occasions of divine 'arrival' and respond with renewed practice."}
Subject Matter: ["Mantra Studies","Soteriology (saṃsāra imagery)","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: karuṇā
Type: inner devotional landscape (saṃsāra-ocean metaphor)
Related Themes: Expands the refuge-mantra of 192.7.0 with saṃsāra-ocean imagery.
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee voices surrender: before a vast symbolic ocean of saṃsāra, the Lord appears again—gentle-faced—offering passage and refuge.","item_prompts":["stormy ocean as metaphor","small devotee figure with folded hands","radiant Lord appearing on horizon","boat/bridge symbolism","light breaking through clouds"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized waves and cosmic backdrop; Lord radiant and calm; devotee in anjali; strong contrasting colors, ornate divine figure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf aura around the Lord emerging above the ocean; embossed waves; devotee at bottom; mantra text band optional.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: soft, luminous ocean scene; refined facial expressions; gentle 'sुमुख' emphasis; subtle divine radiance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: poetic seascape with pastel clouds; Lord descending in a beam of light; devotee on shore; delicate narrative charm."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"intense prayer and surrender with consoling assurance","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"supplicatory, then softened into grateful calm"}
FAQs
The metaphor of saṃsāra as an ocean is a widely shared classical trope; its presence here shows continuity between Purāṇic devotion and broader Sanskrit soteriological imagery.
No physical geography is specified; “ocean” functions as a metaphor for cyclic existence.
To adopt humility and seek protection through disciplined recitation, presenting liberation as guided passage rather than coercion.
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.