Varaha Purana 96.45 — Adhyaya 96, Shloka 45
The Threefold Power: The Raudrī Observance and the Manifestation of Chāmuṇḍā
याचयामासुरव्यग्रास्तास्तां देवीं बुभुक्षिताः ॥ वयं देवि सुधार्ताः स्मो देहि नो भोजनं शुभे ॥
yācayāmāsur avyagrās tāstāṃ devīṃ bubhukṣitāḥ || vayaṃ devi sudhārtāḥ smo dehi no bhojanaṃ śubhe ||
याचयामासुरव्यग्राः तास्तां देवीं बुभुक्षिताः— “वयं देवि सुधार्ताः स्मः; देहि नो भोजनं शुभे।”
Unspecified group (petitioners addressing Devī)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","key_question":"What is the righteous means of relieving urgent hunger—who will grant us food, and how should need be addressed within dharmic order?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Those in need may petition respectfully for anna (food); the addressed authority (here Devī) is implicitly bound by auspicious generosity toward the hungry.","karmic_consequence":"Granting food supports puṇya and social-cosmic harmony; refusing/neglecting the hungry (especially petitioners under one’s protection) accrues demerit and disorder (implied by Purāṇic ethics, though not explicitly stated here)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"The hunger-plea frames ‘anna’ as life-supporting śakti; while not Varāha-symbolic, it aligns with Purāṇic valuation of anna-dāna as sustaining the world-order.","vedantic_connection":"Dependence of embodied beings on anna underscores the embodied condition (deha-dharma) and the ethical imperative of compassion; no explicit Vedānta mapping stated."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"compassion_and_dependence","core_concept":"Need (kṣudh) levels all beings; compassionate response to hunger is a direct expression of dharma and auspiciousness (śubhatā).","practical_application":"Prioritize feeding the hungry (anna-sevā/anna-dāna) as immediate dharma; when in need, ask without violence or deceit—through respectful petition."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Culture","Mythic Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 96 (petitioners’ plea to Devī; sets up subsequent resolution)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A group of hungry, restless petitioners stand with folded hands before the Devī, pleading for food; their agitation contrasts with her auspicious composure.","item_prompts":["petitioners with añjali-mudrā","expressions of hunger/urgency","Devī seated/standing with calm authority","empty bowls or begging vessels"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: expressive faces of petitioners, rhythmic grouping; Devī frontal with ornate halo; strong color contrast between agitation and serenity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Devī richly adorned in gold; petitioners smaller at her feet with bowls; emphasis on auspiciousness (śubhe) through bright palette.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: gentle, emotive realism; petitioners’ pleading hands; Devī’s compassionate gaze; refined detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate court-like audience scene; petitioners in a line; Devī elevated on a seat; delicate gestures and clear storytelling."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"supplicatory and compassionate","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"pleading on the direct speech, then softened on ‘śubhe’"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif: beings approach a divine figure with a practical need (here, hunger), reflecting how Purāṇas encode social anxieties into mythic dialogue.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse fragment.
The verse foregrounds the ethics of appeal and response—need is articulated through supplication, preparing the ground for a negotiated resolution rather than immediate violence.
Ask anything about this verse
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