Varaha Purana 51.5 — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 5

Recollection of the Dharaṇī-vrata and the Agastya–Bhadrāśva Dialogue on Liberation

Devanagari script

यदि नाम परं देव कौतुकं हृदि वर्तते । अगस्त्यः पुनरागत्य भद्राश्वस्य निवेशनम् । यच्चकार स राजा च तन्ममाचक्ष्व भूधर ॥ ५१.५ ॥

Transliteration

yadi nāma paraṃ deva kautukaṃ hṛdi vartate | agastyaḥ punarāgatya bhadrāśvasya niveśanam | yac chakāra sa rājā ca tan mamācakṣva bhūdhara || 51.5 ||

Translation

హే పరమదేవా, మీ హృదయంలో కుతూహలం ఉంటే, ఓ భూధరా, అగస్త్యుడు భద్రాశ్వుని నివాసానికి తిరిగి వచ్చి ఏమి చేశాడో, అలాగే ఆ రాజు ఏమి చేశాడో నాకు చెప్పుము।

Word by Word

• yadi: if

• nāma: indeed/for emphasis

• param: supreme

• deva: lord/deity

• kautukam: curiosity/interest

• hṛdi: in the heart

• vartate: exists/abides

• agastyaḥ: Agastya (sage)

• punarāgatya: having returned again

• bhadrāśvasya: of Bhadrāśva

• niveśanam: residence/dwelling

• yat: what

• cakāra: did/performed

• sa: that/he

• rājā: king

• ca: and

• tat: that

• mama: to me

• ācakṣva: tell/declare

• bhūdhara: bearer of the earth (epithet)

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"curious, attentive; seeking narrative clarification within the Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue frame","key_question":"What did Agastya do after returning to Bhadrāśva’s residence, and what did the king do thereafter?"}

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":"hermeneutic framing / disciplic inquiry","core_concept":"Proper questioning (praśna) initiates transmission of dharma and mokṣa narratives.","practical_application":"Cultivate respectful curiosity and request teachings with clarity of scope (who/what/after what event)."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Narrative Dialogue","Sage Traditions","Kingship","Cultural Heritage"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: jijnasa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: royal residence/courtly setting (narrative locale)

Cross References

Related Themes: 51.51.6-8 (Varāha narrates Bhadrāśva’s reception and the mokṣa-dharma question; Agastya’s response begins)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pṛthivī, in a reverent posture, asks the Lord to recount what Agastya and King Bhadrāśva did after the sage’s return, setting up the next narrative scene.","item_prompts":["Pṛthivī as goddess (earth-toned garments, lotus seat)","Varāha as divine narrator (not necessarily in boar form here)","gesture of inquiry (añjali, slightly raised face)","scroll/palm-leaf manuscript motif to signal narrative transmission"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural palette; Pṛthivī in warm ochres and greens, Varāha as majestic divine figure; emphasize expressive eyes and hand-mudrā of questioning; minimal background with stylized flora.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore composition with central divine narrator and Pṛthivī at side in añjali; gold-leaf haloing; ornate jewelry; include palm-leaf manuscript border motifs.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore-style delicate linework; soft shading; courtly calm; Pṛthivī’s inquisitive expression; Varāha’s composed teaching posture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature intimacy; hillside-like stylized background; Pṛthivī and Varāha in close dialogue; fine textiles; emphasis on narrative anticipation."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, transitional","suggested_raga":"Vācaspati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, interrogative, respectful"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Philology
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative technique: an inquirer prompts the instructor to continue a specific episode involving a sage (Agastya) and a king, preserving cultural memory around exemplary figures and their deeds.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit geographic site is named here; the verse only references 'bhadrāśvasya niveśanam' (Bhadrāśva’s residence), which functions as a narrative setting rather than a clearly identifiable modern location in this excerpt.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily serves as a narrative prompt rather than a direct ethical injunction; implicitly, it frames attentive inquiry and accurate transmission of events as valued intellectual and cultural practices.