Varaha Purana 138.79 — Adhyaya 138, Shloka 79
The Episode of the Khañjarīṭa Bird
and the Saukarava Tīrtha’s Merit
दृष्ट्वा मां विह्वलं बाला गृहीत्वा क्रीडितुं गताः॥ हस्ताद्धस्तेन क्रीडन्तश्चान्योन्यपरिहासया॥
dṛṣṭvā māṃ vihvalaṃ bālā gṛhītvā krīḍituṃ gatāḥ | hastād hastena krīḍantaś cānyonyaparihāsayā ||
నన్ను వ్యాకులంగా చూసి కొందరు పిల్లలు నన్ను పట్టుకుని ఆడుకోవడానికి తీసుకెళ్లారు; చేతి నుంచి చేతికి మార్చుతూ పరస్పరం ఎగతాళి చేస్తూ ఆడారు.
Khañjarīṭa
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":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Do not torment helpless beings for sport; childish play becomes cruelty when it exploits another’s suffering.","karmic_consequence":"Cruel delight in another’s pain accrues demerit and hardens the mind toward violence; care accrues merit and softens conduct."}
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":"moral psychology / ahiṃsā","core_concept":"Suffering is amplified when others treat a living being as an object; heedlessness (pramāda) turns play into harm.","practical_application":"Train children and oneself in empathy; intervene when ‘play’ becomes injury; practice ahiṃsā in small daily acts."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Non-violence","Narrative Literature"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 138.85 (the bird’s incapacity); Varāha Purāṇa 138.87-138.88 (quarrel escalating to violence)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Children gather around a distressed small bird, lifting it and passing it hand-to-hand as a cruel game, laughing and mocking.","item_prompts":["group of children in a circle","bird held between hands","gestures of laughter/mockery","dusty courtyard or riverbank approach","motion blur implied by passing hands"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: rhythmic arrangement of children’s arms in a circular flow, expressive faces, the bird as a small focal point.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: ornamental depiction of children with patterned garments, gold highlights on jewelry, central bird emphasized with contrast.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined facial expressions showing teasing, delicate rendering of hands, subdued background.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: narrative vignette with playful yet ominous mood, bright clothing, detailed natural setting."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"pained admonition","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"firming into reproach on words indicating mockery"}
FAQs
It records a moralized depiction of casual cruelty toward animals, a recurring theme in Sanskrit didactic narratives used to teach restraint and compassion.
No location is specified.
It implicitly critiques harm inflicted for amusement and underscores compassion toward vulnerable beings.
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