Varaha Purana 68.13 — Adhyaya 68, Shloka 13
Dharma Across the Four Yugas, the Disruption of Social Conduct, and Ritual Purification from Varṇa-Mixing Transgressions
अगम्यां ब्राह्मणीं प्राहुः क्षत्रियस्य नरेश्वर । क्षत्राणीं चैव वैश्यस्य वैश्यां शूद्रस्य पार्थिव । अधमस्योत्तमा नारी अगम्या मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ ६८.१३ ॥
agamyāṃ brāhmaṇīṃ prāhuḥ kṣatriyasya nareśvara | kṣatrāṇīṃ caiva vaiśyasya vaiśyāṃ śūdrasya pārthiva | adhamasyottamā nārī agamyā manur abravīt || 68.13 ||
హే నరేశ్వరా, క్షత్రియునికి బ్రాహ్మణీ ‘అగమ్య’ అని చెబుతారు; అలాగే వైశ్యునికి క్షత్రాణీ, శూద్రునికి వైశ్య స్త్రీ, హే రాజా। మనువు చెప్పినట్లు—నీచునికి ఉన్నత స్త్రీ అగమ్యమే।
Varāha (default attribution; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"States a core definition of ‘agamyā’: a woman of higher varṇa is forbidden to a man of lower varṇa (citing Manu as authority).","karmic_consequence":"Approaching a higher-varṇa woman from a lower-varṇa position is treated as agamyāgamana, generating pāpa and requiring expiation; restraint preserves śuddhi/ācāra."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma-adhikāra (eligibility framed by hierarchy)","core_concept":"The passage grounds sexual ethics in a hierarchical notion of social order, appealing to Manu as pramāṇa (normative authority).","practical_application":"In the text’s logic, determine ‘agamyā’ by comparing relative status (uttamā/adhama) and avoid relations deemed transgressive to prevent the need for prāyaścitta."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Social Norms","Dharma-śāstra Reception"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: dharmic gravity
Related Themes: 68.68.12 (graded ‘gati’ principle); 68.68.14-15 (kinship and other forbidden categories)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher (Varāha as narrator/authority per Context) addresses a king, pointing to a manuscript labeled ‘Manu’ to ground the rule.","item_prompts":["king seated with crown and folded hands","teacher with manuscript scroll/palm-leaf","gesture of prohibition (raised palm)","court hall or āśrama-court hybrid"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized king and sage; manuscript emphasized; strong outlines; restrained expressions conveying solemn rule-giving.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king with jeweled crown; teacher with halo; gold-leaf on throne and ornaments; manuscript prominently placed.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant court interior; teacher’s calm admonition; fine textile detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate court scene; teacher and king in profile; manuscript between them; soft pastel architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn and normative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"firm, cautionary, with emphasis on ‘agamyā’ and ‘Manu’"}
FAQs
It reflects the reception of Dharma-śāstra style social regulations within Purāṇic literature, explicitly invoking Manu as an authoritative voice in normative discourse.
No geographic location is mentioned in this verse; it is framed as a social-ethical rule rather than a place-based narrative.
The verse states a normative restriction on sexual approach/marriage across certain varṇa hierarchies, presenting ‘higher-status’ women as prohibited to ‘lower-status’ men, attributed to Manu.
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