Varaha Purana 36.4: Adhyaya 36, Shloka 4
Account of the Maṇija Kings and a Hymn to Govinda Leading to Liberation
सुरश्मिर्भविता राजा शशकर्णो महाबलः । शुभदर्शनः पाञ्चालो भविष्यति नराधिपः ॥ ३६.४ ॥
suraśmir bhavitā rājā śaśakarṇo mahābalaḥ | śubhadarśanaḥ pāñcālo bhaviṣyati narādhipaḥ || 36.4 ||
Явится царь по имени Сурашми; и другой — Шашакарна, великой силы; и прекрасный обликом Панчала станет владыкой среди людей.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Cataloguing kings (Suraśmi, Śaśakarṇa, Pāñcāla) underscores the rājadharma ideal: strength (mahābala) and auspicious appearance (śubhadarśana) should serve righteous rule.","karmic_consequence":"Rulers aligned with auspicious conduct and strength protect society and gain lasting remembrance; misuse of strength leads to infamy and dynastic erosion (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"political ethics (rājadharma)","core_concept":"Legitimate sovereignty integrates bala (capacity) with śubha (auspicious, dharmic orientation).","practical_application":"Cultivate both competence and virtue; let ‘power’ be publicly legible as protection and fairness."}
Subject Matter: ["History","Kingship","Genealogy","Political Culture"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: region/janapada (indicative)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 36.36.2-6 (continuous king-list)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A prophetic roll-call of kings: three royal figures appear in sequence—Suraśmi, Śaśakarṇa, and the handsome Pāñcāla—each marked by strength and royal insignia.","item_prompts":["three kings in a row or in separate panels","distinctive identifiers: radiant rays for Suraśmi, hare-ear motif for Śaśakarṇa, handsome youthful visage for Pāñcāla","royal weapons (bow/sword) and crowns","Varāha as narrator in the margin"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural triptych: three kings with stylized attributes; saturated reds/greens; Varāha at side with teaching gesture; ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf crowns and halos; embossed jewelry; three-figure composition with name labels; temple-arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: realistic portrait-like kings; subtle differentiation via emblems; warm court interior; Varāha as sage-like instructor.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: three small vignettes across a landscape; delicate crowns; minimal props; narrative captions for each king."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"genealogical-panegyric","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium-fast (list-like)","voice_tone":"firm, rhythmic, name-accenting"}
FAQs
It exemplifies a Purāṇic catalogue-style passage that records or forecasts royal figures, reflecting how Purāṇas preserve cultural memory through genealogies and lists of rulers.
No explicit place-name is given in this verse; the term “Pāñcāla” can function as an ethnonym/royal designation associated with the broader Pāñcāla region in North India in other Sanskrit sources, but here it appears as a personal or dynastic identifier.
No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse primarily functions as a record/forecast of rulers, indirectly emphasizing ideals of kingship (strength, auspicious appearance) used in Purāṇic political description.
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