Varaha Purana 187.22 — Adhyaya 187, Shloka 22

Determination of the Origin and Procedure of the Ancestral Offering

Pitṛyajña/Śrāddha

Devanagari script

देवताश्चासुरा देवि जातास्ते ब्रह्मणस्तथा ॥ देवता ह्यसुराः सर्वे तपोवीर्यबलान्विताः

Transliteration

devatāś cāsurā devi jātās te brahmaṇas tathā || devatā hy asurāḥ sarve tapovīryabalānvitāḥ

Translation

హే దేవీ, దేవతలూ అసురులూ బ్రహ్మ నుండే జన్మించారు. దేవతలు మరియు అసురులు—అందరూ తపస్సు, తేజస్సు, బలంతో సమన్వితులై ఉన్నారు.

Word by Word

• devatāḥ: gods

• ca: and

• asurāḥ: asuras

• devi: O Goddess

• jātāḥ: born

• te: they

• brahmaṇaḥ: from Brahmā

• tathā: likewise

• hi: indeed

• sarve: all

• tapas: austerity

• vīrya: vigor/heroic potency

• bala: strength

• -anvitāḥ: endowed with

Speaker

Varāha (default, dialogue framework)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious; seeking cosmological clarification within the Varāha–Bhū dialogue frame","key_question":"How did the opposing classes (devas and asuras) originate, and what common power-source underlies both?"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

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":"cosmology/ethics","core_concept":"Tapas (austerity) is a morally neutral potency shared by devas and asuras; ethical direction, not raw power, differentiates outcomes.","practical_application":"Cultivate tapas with discernment (viveka) and right intention; do not equate spiritual power with goodness."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Genealogy","Ascetic Power"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmological realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa, surrounding genealogy/cosmology passages in adhyāya 187 (deva–asura origins)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha as narrator-teacher addressing Bhū Devī, while a cosmic tableau shows Brahmā as source, with devas and asuras emerging as parallel lineages marked by tapas-tejas.","item_prompts":["Varāha seated in teaching posture","Bhū Devī listening attentively","Brahmā on lotus as distant source","two streams of beings: devas and asuras","aura of tapas (radiant heat) around both groups"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Varāha and Bhū Devī in frontal, calm teaching scene; stylized Brahmā-lotus in background; symmetrical deva/asura emergence with warm tejas halos.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Varāha–Bhū Devī with ornate arch; gold-leaf halos for tapas; miniature Brahmā on lotus above; devas/asuras in flanking panels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate linework, subdued palette; emphasize didactic calm; soft radiance around devas/asuras indicating equal tapas-śakti.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical hills-as-cosmos metaphor; Varāha and Bhū Devī in intimate dialogue; Brahmā-lotus cloud; two processions (deva/asura) with glowing outlines."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"steady, explanatory, resonant"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sanskrit Philology
• Mythic Genealogy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a Purāṇic tendency to present devas and asuras within a shared genealogical origin, useful for comparative myth studies and the evolution of dualistic categories in Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified; the verse is genealogical and cosmological.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It suggests that potency (strength and ascetic power) is not monopolized by a single group; moral evaluation is not reduced to mere lineage.