Varaha Purana 137.82 — Adhyaya 137, Shloka 82
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
पौरजानपदाः सर्वे श्रुत्वा तु तदनन्तरम्॥ लाभालाभौ परित्यज्य सर्वकर्माण्यकारयन्॥
paurajānapadāḥ sarve śrutvā tu tadanantaram || lābhālābhau parityajya sarvakarmāṇy akārayan ||
అనంతరం అది విని పట్టణవాసులు, గ్రామజనులు అందరూ లాభనష్టాలను విడిచి, సమస్త విధికర్మలను నిర్వహింపజేశారు।
Varāha (default speaker framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Upon hearing the rightful directive, citizens and villagers should abandon fixation on profit/loss and perform their prescribed duties (svakarma) for social order.","karmic_consequence":"Duty done without gain-loss obsession purifies and sustains communal welfare; attachment-driven action breeds conflict and demerit (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The verse socializes karma-yoga: relinquishing lābha–alābha aligns individual action with cosmic order (dharma), echoing the Lord’s sustaining function (viṣṇu-tattva).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"Karma performed with equanimity (samatva) and duty-orientation prepares the mind for devotion/knowledge; community becomes a field of yajña-like cooperation."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-yoga (ethical action)","core_concept":"Renounce obsession with outcomes (lābha–alābha) and execute rightful tasks; social dharma is stabilized by inner equanimity.","practical_application":"In work and ritual, focus on correctness and service; measure success by dharmic completion rather than personal gain."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Social Conduct","Ritual Practice"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: civic landscape
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 137 (civic response following royal awakening)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"After the royal proclamation, townspeople and villagers gather, set aside thoughts of profit and loss, and begin their respective duties—crafts, agriculture, temple service—harmoniously.","item_prompts":["mixed crowd: merchants, farmers, artisans","tools: plough, scales, pots, scrolls","temple bell or civic notice","gestures of resolve","organized movement into tasks"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: processional crowd in rhythmic arrangement; vivid costumes; clear occupational attributes; calm, ordered energy.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-accented civic/temple backdrop; richly dressed townsfolk; symbolic balance-scale motif for lābha–alābha renunciation.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed genre-like scene of daily duties; soft palette; emphasis on composure and coordination.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: village-town panorama with small figures doing tasks; gentle hills/trees; narrative spread showing multiple occupations at once."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ethical resolve, communal harmony","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, instructive, uplifting"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic social ideal: communities are portrayed as acting collectively after receiving authoritative instruction, emphasizing duty over personal profit—an ethical motif widely attested in Sanskrit narrative literature.
No specific place-name is stated in this verse; it refers generally to urban (paura) and rural (jānapada) populations.
To set aside fixation on personal gain or loss and prioritize the completion of rightful duties and communal responsibilities.
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