Varaha Purana 137.20: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 20

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Devanagari script

बाढमित्येव तां वाक्यं प्रत्युवाच वसुन्धरे ।। विस्रब्धा भव सुश्रोणि कल्याणेन यशस्विनि ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 137.20

Transliteration

bāḍham ity eva tāṁ vākyaṁ pratyuvāca vasundhare | visrabdhā bhava suśroṇi kalyāṇena yaśasvini ||

Translation

‘బాఢం’ అని చెప్పి, ఓ వసుంధరా, ఆమె వాక్యానికి ప్రత్యుత్తరం ఇచ్చెను—‘ఓ సుశ్రోణీ, నిశ్చింతగా ఉండు; ఓ యశస్వినీ, కల్యాణముతో ఉండు।’

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Word by Word

• bāḍham: certainly/so be it

• iti eva: thus indeed

• tām: that

• vākyam: statement

• pratyuvāca: replied

• vasundhare: O Earth (voc.)

• visrabdhā: reassured/at ease

• bhava: be

• suśroṇi: O fair-hipped one (epithet)

• kalyāṇena: with auspiciousness/for wellbeing

• yaśasvini: O illustrious one

Speaker

Varāha (default instructor voice addressing Vasundharā/Pr̥thivī)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

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

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"parikrama_context":"Pilgrimage-procession context (followers accompanying the king), but no explicit parikramā."}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

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":"social dharma (gṛhastha participation)","core_concept":"Dharma and pilgrimage can be pursued within household life; family accompaniment signifies shared merit and communal religiosity.","practical_application":"Undertake sacred journeys with ethical order and mutual support; integrate devotion with family responsibilities."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Dialogue"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Secondary Rasa: vīra

Geographic Context

Type: travel route / yātrā

Cross References

Related Themes: Narrative lead-in to Saukarava tīrtha inquiry (Dhārā’s questions)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal procession moves out: the king is followed by wives, sons, and attendants, suggesting a large pilgrimage caravan.","item_prompts":["royal chariot or palanquin","women and children in procession","banners and parasols","pack animals","road leading toward a sacred landscape"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: long horizontal procession, rhythmic repetition of figures, ornate parasols, stylized foliage framing the path.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central king emphasized with gold, smaller accompanying figures, decorative borders, minimal background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed textiles and jewelry, gentle movement, architectural hint of palace gate behind.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: winding path through hills/fields, many small figures, narrative clarity with a destination shrine in distance."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative, forward-moving","suggested_raga":"Desh or Khamaj (journey-like, light gravity)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, storytelling"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ecological Narratives

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies the Purāṇic dialogic register in which Earth (Vasundharā/Pr̥thivī) is personified and addressed, reinforcing the text’s ecological-cosmological framing.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is named in this reassurance verse; it functions within the broader Saukarava context.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The ethical tone is reassurance and wellbeing—stability, calm, and auspicious resolution within a cosmological relationship between protector and Earth.