Varaha Purana 41.28: Adhyaya 41, Shloka 28
Rite of the Varāha Dvādaśī Vow and an Exemplary Narrative on Expiation for Brahmin-Slaying
ते चाप्येकतरॊर्मूले मृगचर्मोपवीतिनः । जपन्तः संस्थितास्ते हि राज्ञा दृष्ट्वा मृगा इति । मत्वा विद्धास्तु युगपन्मृतास्ते ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥ ४१.२८ ॥
te cāpy ekataror mūle mṛgacarmopavītinaḥ | japantaḥ saṃsthitās te hi rājñā dṛṣṭvā mṛgā iti | matvā viddhās tu yugapan mṛtās te brahmavādinaḥ || 41.28 ||
వారూ ఒక చెట్టు మూలంలో మృగచర్మం ధరించి జపంలో నిలిచియున్నారు. రాజు వారిని చూసి ‘ఇవి జింకలు’ అని భావించి ఒకేసారి బాణాలతో గాయపరచగా, ఆ బ్రహ్మవాదులు సమూహంగా మరణించారు।
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic ethical motif: a ruler’s error in perception leading to unintended harm, used to frame discussions on restraint, verification, and accountability within rājadharma.
No explicit place-name appears in this verse; the setting is described only as “the root of a certain tree,” so a secure modern geographic identification is not possible from this fragment alone.
The verse highlights the moral risk of acting on assumption—especially by those with power—implying the need for discernment and careful verification before causing harm.
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