Varaha Purana 116.22: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 22
An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering
मामेव न प्रपद्यन्ते ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥ एतत्ते कथितं भद्रे दुःखकर्मविनिश्चयम्
mām eva na prapadyante tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim || etat te kathitaṃ bhadre duḥkha-karma-viniścayam
मामेव न प्रपद्यन्ते; ततो दुःखतरं नु किम्? एतत्ते कथितं भद्रे—दुःखकर्मविनिश्चयम्।
Varāha (default, addressing Pṛthivī)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Direct counsel to Pṛthivī: the greatest pain is non-surrender; he concludes a section on duḥkha-karmas."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"seeking remedy; receptive to a salvific orientation","key_question":"What is the decisive remedy for duḥkha-producing karma, and why is failure to take refuge in the Lord the worst misfortune?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge in the Lord) is presented as the crucial corrective; refusal to do so is the most grievous condition.","karmic_consequence":"Taking refuge leads toward release from duḥkha-karmas; non-refuge perpetuates suffering and moral downfall."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha as the cosmic rescuer becomes the inner refuge: the same power that lifts Earth lifts the jīva from karmic mire through surrender.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit: refuge in the Lord as the ‘yajña’s center’—all acts and identities find stability when offered to the divine ground (Varāha/Nārāyaṇa).","vedantic_connection":"Bhakti-vedānta emphasis: īśvara-śaraṇāgati as a means that reorients karma toward mokṣa; duḥkha arises from separation/forgetfulness of the Supreme."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriological (bhakti)","core_concept":"The gravest suffering is spiritual non-alignment—refusal of exclusive refuge in the Lord.","practical_application":"Cultivate śaraṇāgati: remembrance, prayer, ethical restraint, and offering one’s life-direction to the Lord as the ultimate support."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Karma","Devotional Orientation (as framed in text)"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Sets up 116.25–26 where ‘pāpa harmful to all beings’ and ‘śubha’ are defined and linked to devotion
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha declares the centrality of surrender; Bhu Devi appears relieved yet solemn, as if receiving a decisive spiritual key.","item_prompts":["Varāha with open palm (abhaya/teaching)","Bhu Devi with folded hands","radiant aura signifying ‘mām eva’ (me alone)","dark cloud receding (duḥkha-karmas)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: luminous Varāha with strong halo; Bhu Devi in añjali; stylized dark-to-light gradient behind them to show duḥkha to refuge.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heavy gold-leaf aura around Varāha; embossed rays; Bhu Devi kneeling; symbolic chains breaking near the base.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant, devotional intimacy; subtle light around Varāha’s face; minimal background; emphasis on bhakti mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: gentle pastoral setting; a beam of light from Varāha to Bhu Devi; narrative clarity with soft colors."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, devotional resolve","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"deep, reassuring yet emphatic"}
FAQs
It marks a summarizing turn typical of Purāṇic instruction, closing a list of observed sufferings with a doctrinal conclusion.
None is identified in this verse.
The passage frames ‘refuge’ (prapatti) as a remedy to suffering-producing conduct, while maintaining a didactic focus on consequences of action.
Ask anything about this verse
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