Varaha Purana 10.25: Adhyaya 10, Shloka 25
The Threefold Division by the Guṇas, the Deities’ Attainment of Worship, and the Opening of the Durjaya Episode
इन्द्ररूपोपमः श्रीमानुद्यच्छस्त्रः प्रतापवान् । विद्याप्रभावकर्मज्ञः क्रूरकर्मा भविष्यति । दुर्जयोऽतिबली राजा एवमुक्त्वा गतो मुनिः ॥ १०.२५ ॥
indrarūpopamaḥ śrīmān udyacchastraḥ pratāpavān | vidyāprabhāvakarmajñaḥ krūrakarmā bhaviṣyati | durjayo 'tibalī rājā evam uktvā gato muniḥ || 10.25 ||
เขาจักรุ่งเรือง มีรูปงามดุจพระอินทร์ เป็นผู้ยกอาวุธ มีเดชและอานุภาพ รู้การงานด้วยพลังแห่งวิชา แต่จักกระทำกรรมอันกร้าวรุนแรง เป็นพระราชาผู้มีกำลังยิ่งและยากจะพิชิต” กล่าวแล้วฤๅษีก็จากไป
Varāha (default framework; 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":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Royal power is morally ambivalent: a king may be learned and mighty yet ‘cruel in deeds’; strength without dharmic restraint becomes fearsome and socially costly.","karmic_consequence":"If vīrya is yoked to dharma it protects; if joined to cruelty it generates suffering, enmity, and eventual karmic backlash despite temporary invincibility."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Character and destiny","core_concept":"Gifts (śrī, pratāpa, vidyā) do not guarantee virtue; ethical orientation determines whether power becomes protection or oppression.","practical_application":"Cultivate compassion and self-restraint alongside competence; evaluate leaders by conduct, not merely brilliance or strength."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship","Prophecy/Characterization"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 10.10.24 (prophecy announced); Varāha Purāṇa 10.10.26 (conception/birth follows)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vivid prophetic portrait: the future king appears in imagination—Indra-like, weapon-raised, radiant yet severe—while the sage concludes and departs.","item_prompts":["visionary figure of the son with weapon uplifted","Indra-like crown/armor","radiant aura (śrī)","shadowed undertone suggesting cruelty","sage walking away with staff and water-pot"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized warrior-king with bold ornaments; contrasting color blocks to show splendor vs. cruelty; sage exiting frame.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf armor and crown; embossed weapon; sage in austere gold halo; dramatic contrast of luminous king and darkened background edge.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant warrior portrait with controlled dynamism; subtle facial hardness; sage’s departure rendered with gentle motion.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: miniature ‘prophecy-vision’ vignette above/behind the listening king; sage departing along a path; delicate weapon detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Prophetic and martial","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"Medium","voice_tone":"Resonant and weighty; emphasize compounds like ‘udyacchastrah pratāpavān’ with steady rhythm."}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic literary mode of describing rulers through idealized and cautionary traits—valor and learning alongside the possibility of harsh governance—useful for studying ancient South Asian political-ethical discourse.
No geographic location is named in this verse fragment; it focuses on characterization of a king and the departure of a sage.
The verse juxtaposes power and learning with the warning of cruelty, implicitly foregrounding the ethical tension in kingship: capability and knowledge do not necessarily ensure compassionate action.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.