Varaha Purana 52.11: Adhyaya 52, Shloka 11

The Genealogy of Trivarṇa, Manohvā, and the Akṣa Lineage, with the Construction of the Nine-Gated City

Devanagari script

तस्मिन् समुद्रे स नृपो वने तस्मिंस्तथैव च । तृणादिषु नृपस्सैव हस्त्यादिषु तथैव च । समोऽभवत् कर्मकाण्डादनुज्ञाय महामते ॥ ५२.११ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 52.11

Transliteration

tasmin samudre sa nṛpo vane tasmiṁs tathaiva ca | tṛṇādiṣu nṛpassaiva hastyādiṣu tathaiva ca | samo 'bhavat karmakāṇḍād anujñāya mahāmate || 52.11 ||

Translation

तस्मिन् समुद्रे तथा तस्मिन् वनेऽपि स नृपः सम एवाभवत्। तृणादिषु हस्त्यादिषु च तथैव समोऽभवत्। कर्मकाण्डेनानुज्ञातः, हे महामते, स सर्वत्र समत्वं प्राप्तवान्॥

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Word by Word

• tasmin: in that

• samudre: in the ocean

• saḥ: he

• nṛpaḥ: king

• vane: in the forest

• tasmiṁs: in that

• tathaiva: just so/likewise

• ca: and

• tṛṇa-ādiṣu: among grass etc.

• nṛpaḥ sa eva: that very king

• hasti-ādiṣu: among elephants etc.

• samaḥ: equal/level

• abhavat: became

• karmakāṇḍāt: from/through the karmic-ritual order

• anujñāya: having permitted/authorized

• mahāmate: O great-minded (one)

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker framework; explicit speaker not indicated in the excerpt)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Karmakāṇḍa-authorized karmic momentum can carry a jīva through multiple yonis, where prior distinctions collapse into an undifferentiated experiential sameness.","karmic_consequence":"Following ritual-ethical order yields orderly transmigration and eventual dispassion/equanimity; violating it leads to confused, painful, and obstructed gati (implied)."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-saṃsāra / dehāntara-vāda","core_concept":"Across births (grass, elephant, etc.) the jīva encounters a leveling of identity; karmic authorization (karmakāṇḍa) governs orderly fruition, culminating in sama-bhāva (detachment).","practical_application":"Cultivate vairāgya by contemplating yoni-bheda as superficial; perform duties without clinging, aiming at inner sameness rather than status."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Karma theory","Ethics","Cosmology"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic/terrestrial realms (symbolic habitats across yonis)

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: adjacent karma/saṃsāra narration around 52.52 (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king’s identity dissolves into a montage of rebirth-habitats—ocean, forest, grasses, elephants—suggesting karmic leveling and sameness across forms.","item_prompts":["ocean expanse","dense forest","patch of grass/reeds","elephant herd silhouette","faint royal insignia fading into nature","subtle wheel/karma motif"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural palette; layered vignettes of ocean/forest/grass/elephants with a fading crowned figure; calm śānta bhāva; ornamental borders with subtle chakra motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore composition with central fading king-figure; gold-leaf halos over nature scenes; embossed ocean waves and forest foliage; minimal narrative panels for yonis.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style soft shading; sequential vignettes of habitats; restrained expressions; emphasis on contemplative mood and karmic inevitability.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature with multiple registers: sea, forest, meadow, elephants; delicate lines; a small crowned figure dissolving into landscape; quiet, reflective ambience."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative, didactic","suggested_raga":"Ānandabhairavī","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"steady, grave, reflective"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Karmic Ethics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic narrative technique that links social status (kingship) to karmic causality, emphasizing that ritual and action-based consequences can override worldly hierarchy in the cycle of embodied existence.

Which geographic location is identified?

Only generic environments are named—“ocean” (samudra) and “forest” (vana). No specific tīrtha or historically identifiable place-name appears in this verse fragment.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse underscores the philosophical instruction that embodied forms and social rank are not absolute; karmic causality can render one ‘equal’ across diverse life-forms, encouraging humility and ethical responsibility.