Varaha Purana 116.38: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 38
An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering
यस्येदं विदितं सर्वं ततः सौख्यतरं नु किम् ॥ अकामो वा सकामो वा मम क्षेत्रे वसुंधरे ॥
yasyedaṃ viditaṃ sarvaṃ tataḥ saukhyataraṃ nu kim | akāmo vā sakāmo vā mama kṣetre vasuṃdhare ||
यस्येदं विदितं सर्वं तस्मात् सौख्यतरं नु किम्। अकामो वा सकामो वा मम क्षेत्रे वसुन्धरे।
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha speaks to Vasundharā about liberating knowledge and its applicability within ‘my kṣetra’—a sacred domain under Varāha’s protection."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"How does complete understanding relate to supreme happiness, and who is eligible—desireless or desirous—within Varāha’s sacred domain?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"parikrama_context":"General kṣetra-eligibility statement that can frame tīrtha-yātrā/parikramā merit within the domain; no explicit parikramā named.","krishna_connection":"Implicit: ‘kṣetra’ language can overlap with later Vaiṣṇava sacred geography (including Mathurā), but this verse itself does not name Kṛṣṇa."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Knowledge of the teaching is praised as the highest happiness; in Varāha’s kṣetra, both akāma and sakāma persons are included in its scope.","karmic_consequence":"Right understanding elevates and purifies intention; even desire-motivated seekers gain uplift in a sacred domain, while ignorance keeps one bound to lesser aims."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha as lord of the kṣetra suggests the indwelling ruler (kṣetrajña) who grants jñāna; the ‘boar’ who lifts Earth also ‘lifts’ the mind through knowledge.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Kṣetra as yajña-bhūmi: the sacred field where intention (kāma/akāma) is transmuted by contact with the divine; no explicit limb-mapping given in the verse.","vedantic_connection":"Kṣetra–kṣetrajña framework (later explicit in Gītā) resonates: knowledge (viditaṃ sarvam) as a route from desire-bound action to liberation-oriented understanding."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Jñāna with tīrtha-theology","core_concept":"Complete understanding is itself supreme happiness; sacred space amplifies transformation regardless of initial motivation.","practical_application":"Study and internalize dharma/jñāna teachings; undertake pilgrimage or practice in consecrated spaces while refining motivation from sakāma to akāma."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: sacred domain/kṣetra
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 116.38.0 (ethical discernment); Varāha Purāṇa 116.41.0 (discipline supporting knowledge)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha indicates a sacred domain (‘my kṣetra’) while teaching that knowledge surpasses all happiness; seekers of different motivations are symbolically included.","item_prompts":["Varāha pointing toward a marked sacred boundary","Bhūdevī beside him","map-like motif or temple silhouette","two human figures labeled by posture: one ascetic (akāma), one householder (sakāma)","radiant script/knowledge-light emanation"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha gesturing to a stylized kṣetra with temple towers, Bhūdevī attentive, two devotees in contrasting attire, luminous ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf aura around Varāha, ornate kṣetra emblem (temple/mandala), two devotees flanking, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined sacred-geography vignette, subtle glow for ‘knowledge’, elegant figures, restrained ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: landscape with a holy precinct, Varāha pointing, Bhūdevī seated, two pilgrims on a path suggesting approach to the kṣetra."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Reverent, luminous","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, uplifting, instructive"}
FAQs
It illustrates a Purāṇic strategy of linking knowledge and practice to a ‘kṣetra’ framework, a key feature in the development of sacred geography and pilgrimage culture.
No specific place-name is given; the term “mama kṣetre” indicates a sacred jurisdiction associated with the speaking deity (Varāha).
Valuing comprehensive understanding is presented as a source of well-being; the verse also frames practice within a sacred-domain context.
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