Varaha Purana 167.20 — Adhyaya 167, Shloka 20
The Glory of the Viśrānti Tīrtha and the Account of a Rākṣasa’s Liberation
आत्मना चोपकारेण प्रियं किं करवाणि ते ॥ राक्षस उवाच ॥ ददासि यदि तद्विप्र यन्मे मनसि वर्तते ॥
ātmanā copakāreṇa priyaṃ kiṃ karavāṇi te || rākṣasa uvāca || dadāsi yadi tad vipra yan me manasi vartate ||
“என் முயற்சியாலும் உதவியாலும் உனக்கு என்ன நன்மை செய்ய வேண்டும்?” ராட்சசன் கூறினான்—“ஓ பிராமணா, தருவாயெனில் என் மனத்தில் இருப்பதையே தா.”
Brāhmaṇa (first line); Rākṣasa (second line)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"Can you grant what I desire—what is held in my mind (the unspoken request)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Reciprocity and intention in giving: the giver asks what benefit he can render; the petitioner frames the request as a specific ‘manogatam’ (heart-held) boon.","karmic_consequence":"Rightly directed giving (to a worthy aim like liberation) yields merit; careless granting without discernment can entangle the giver in the recipient’s adharmic motives."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of dāna and saṅkalpa","core_concept":"A boon is shaped by saṅkalpa (intention); what is ‘in the mind’ must be brought into speech for ethical evaluation.","practical_application":"Before granting requests, invite clarity; as a petitioner, articulate aims aligned with dharma (e.g., release from suffering rather than harm to others)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Boon-request","Dialogue"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: tīrtha-phala and merit-transfer motifs that require explicit asking/granting
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A two-voiced exchange: the brāhmaṇa offers assistance; the rākṣasa, cautiously hopeful, asks for the specific boon he holds in mind.","item_prompts":["two figures facing each other","brāhmaṇa’s questioning gesture","rākṣasa pointing to his heart (manas)","subtle aura indicating ‘unspoken wish’"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized hand-to-heart gesture by rākṣasa; brāhmaṇa attentive; rhythmic composition with strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: emphasize the moment of asking—rākṣasa’s hand on chest; gold accents on brāhmaṇa’s sacred thread; decorative arch.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: soft chiaroscuro; expressive eyes; restrained ornamentation; focus on psychological nuance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: gentle landscape; speech-scroll motifs near mouths; intimate scale."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"anticipatory, reflective","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear alternation of speakers; slight pause before the rākṣasa’s request"}
FAQs
It illustrates reciprocity as a moral mechanism in narrative literature: aid is offered, then formalized as a requested gift/boon.
No geographic location is mentioned here.
Ethical action is framed as intentional assistance (upakāra) and responsible granting of requests.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.