Varaha Purana 21.51 — Adhyaya 21, Shloka 51
The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari–Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share
ततो हरिहरं युद्धमभवल्लोमहर्षणम् । रुद्रः पाशुपतास्त्रेण विव्याध हरिमोजसा । हरिर्नारायणास्त्रेण रुद्रं विव्याध कोपवान् ॥ २१.५२ ॥
tato hariharaṃ yuddham abhaval lomaharṣaṇam | rudraḥ pāśupatāstreṇa vivyādha harim ojasā | harir nārāyaṇāstreṇa rudraṃ vivyādha kopavān || 21.52 ||
Затем разгорелась леденящая кровь битва между Хари и Харой. Рудра оружием Пашупата пронзил Хари с могучей силой; и Хари, разгневанный, оружием Нараяны пронзил Рудру.
Varāha (default narrator framework; explicit speaker not stated in the excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theological non-dual concord","core_concept":"Even when sectarian deities appear opposed, their powers are mutually matched, implying a higher unity and the limits of rivalry in īśvara-tattva.","practical_application":"Temper sectarian antagonism; read conflict-myths as pedagogic drama about power, restraint, and cosmic balance."}
Subject Matter: ["Puranic narrative","Martial theology (divine weapons)","Inter-deity conflict motif"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: cosmic arena
Related Themes: 21.21.53-56 (continuation: astras fight; iconographic contrasts)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A terrifying Hari–Hara duel: Rudra releases the Pāśupata, Hari counters with the Nārāyaṇa; both deities are shown ‘pierced’ yet undiminished, surrounded by blazing weapon-auras.","item_prompts":["Hari with discus/bow aura of Nārāyaṇāstra","Rudra with trident/bow aura of Pāśupata","radiant astric flames colliding","deva-soldiers or sages watching in awe","stormy sky, lightning-like weapon trails"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: flat luminous colors, ornate jewelry; depict Hari and Rudra in profile combat, astras as stylized flame-serpents in the sky, dense decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central paired icons of Hari and Rudra with gold-leaf halos; astras rendered as embossed radiant motifs; rich reds/greens, heavy ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate linework, soft shading; emphasize facial expressions of controlled wrath; astras as fine luminous arcs across a darkened sky.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: mountainous-cloud backdrop, lyrical yet intense; slender figures, expressive eyes; weapon-energies as swirling ribbons between them."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"fierce and elevated","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"brisk","voice_tone":"resonant, forceful, clipped on weapon-names"}
FAQs
It exemplifies a Purāṇic narrative technique in which major deities are depicted in conflict through named astras (weapon-mantras), reflecting shared mythic vocabulary across sectarian corpora while remaining part of a literary, not historiographic, register.
No geographic toponym appears in this verse; it is focused on the combat episode and the deployment of the Pāśupata and Nārāyaṇa weapons.
The verse does not present an explicit ethical injunction; its philosophical interest lies in portraying controlled power (ojas) and anger (kopa) as narrative forces, framed through the symbolic use of astras rather than direct moral teaching.
Ask anything about this verse
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