Varaha Purana 71.24: Adhyaya 71, Shloka 24
Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account
तां चरन्तीं ततो दृष्ट्वा शालौ गां गौतमो मुनिः । गृहीत्वा सलिलं पाणौ याहि रुद्रेtyभाषत । ततो मायामयी सा गौः पपात जलबिन्दुभिः ॥ ७१.२४ ॥
tāṁ carantīṁ tato dṛṣṭvā śālau gāṁ gautamo muniḥ | gṛhītvā salilaṁ pāṇau yāhi rudrety abhāṣata | tato māyāmayī sā gauḥ papāta jalabindubhiḥ || 71.24 ||
Então, vendo aquela vaca mover-se no bosque de Śāla, o sábio Gautama, tomando água na palma da mão, disse: «Vai a Rudra». Em seguida, aquela vaca—formada por ilusão—caiu ao chão, ao ser atingida por gotas de água.
Narrator (default dialogue frame: Varāha → Pṛthivī, though not explicit in this fragment)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative technique where ascetic authority and ritual speech-acts (e.g., water-in-hand) expose deception, illustrating how dharma is protected through disciplined conduct rather than force.
A “Śāla(-grove)” (śāla-vanā/śāla-sthāna) is indicated; without further context in adjacent verses, a precise modern identification is uncertain and should be cataloged as a generic toponymic landscape feature.
The verse emphasizes discernment and restraint: apparent forms may be illusory (māyāmayī), and the sage’s measured ritual response models non-violent resolution through recognized cultural-legal acts.
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