Varaha Purana 24.18 — Adhyaya 24, Shloka 18
The Birth of the Nāgas, Brahmā’s Curse, and the Pañcamī Observance
ब्रह्मोवाच । यतो मत्प्रभवान् नित्यं क्षयं नयत मानुषान् । भवान्तरेऽथान्यस्मिन् मातुः शापात् सुदारुणात् । भविताऽतिक्षयं घोरं नूनं स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे ॥ २४.१८ ॥
brahmovāca | yato matprabhavān nityaṁ kṣayaṁ nayata mānuṣān | bhavāntare 'thānyasmin mātuḥ śāpāt sudāruṇāt | bhavitā 'tikṣayaṁ ghoraṁ nūnaṁ svāyambhuve 'ntare || 24.18 ||
బ్రహ్ముడు పలికెను—నన్నుంచి పుట్టిన ఈ సత్త్వాలు నిత్యం మనుష్యులను క్షయానికి నడిపిస్తున్నాయి; అందువల్ల మరొక జన్మలో తల్లి యొక్క అత్యంత దారుణ శాపం వల్ల స్వయంభువ మన్వంతరంలో నిశ్చయంగా ఘోరమైన అతిక్షయం సంభవిస్తుంది।
Brahmā
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":"instructor","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":"Harmful lineages/actions that ‘bring humans to decline’ invite counter-karmic correction through severe maternal curse, culminating in destructive epochs within Manvantara time.","karmic_consequence":"Persistent adharma against humans ripens into ‘ghora atikṣaya’ (terrible over-destruction) at a destined time (Svāyambhuva Manvantara interval)."}
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":"kāla (time) + karma doctrine","core_concept":"Karma ripens within structured cosmic time (Manvantara); curses function as karmic catalysts, not random punishments.","practical_application":"Interpret suffering/destruction through the lens of long causality; cultivate dharma to avoid becoming a cause of ‘human decline’."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Karma and Causality","Mythic Historiography (Manu-epochs)"]
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: cosmic-time (manvantara interval)
Related Themes: Svāyambhuva Manu cycle (implicit); Nāga curse consequences (adjacent verses)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brahmā speaks solemnly, foretelling a future terrible destruction during the Svāyambhuva interval; the atmosphere is heavy with prophetic certainty.","item_prompts":["Brahmā as speaker with teaching gesture","subtle vision of future destruction (faint silhouettes, storm, collapse)","time-wheel or calendric motif to suggest Manvantara","listeners off-frame implied"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Brahmā in composed teaching posture; behind him a faint, stylized ‘kāla’ backdrop—dark clouds and a wheel motif—without overpowering the calm central figure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Brahmā with gold halo; prophetic panel in the background as a secondary register; ornate framing to indicate cosmic decree.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant didactic scene; soft gradients for the ominous prophecy; emphasis on facial serenity despite grave content.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: two-plane composition—foreground Brahmā speaking, background miniature scene of impending devastation; delicate lines and muted tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave, prophetic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"low, measured, with weight on ‘śāpāt sudāruṇāt’ and ‘ghoraṃ’"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic mode of historiography that frames large-scale social or cosmic decline (kṣaya) through moral causality (karma) and epochal time (Manu-intervals), a common narrative device in early medieval Sanskrit literature.
No explicit geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is temporal-cosmological, pointing to the Svāyambhuva Manu era rather than a specific site.
The verse foregrounds causality: harmful actions that lead to human decline are linked to consequential outcomes (here expressed as a severe curse and ensuing destruction), emphasizing accountability across time and states of existence (bhavāntara).
Ask anything about this verse
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