Varaha Purana 170.51 — Adhyaya 170, Shloka 51
The Birth of Gokarṇa and the Fruits of Śiva Worship
including the Śukodara Parrot Episode and Hospitality Ethics
ऋषिः कस्त्वं पुराणज्ञः किं वा देवोऽथ गुह्यकः ।। तव प्रसन्नरूपस्य यस्येयं वागमानुषी
ṛṣiḥ kas tvaṃ purāṇajñaḥ kiṃ vā devo 'tha guhyakaḥ || tava prasannarūpasya yasyeyaṃ vāg amānuṣī
“ท่านเป็นผู้ใด—เป็นฤๅษี ผู้รู้ปุราณะ หรือเป็นเทพเจ้า หรืออาจเป็นคุหยกะ? เพราะรูปของท่านผ่องใสสงบ และวาจานี้ของท่านดูประหนึ่งเกินกว่ามนุษย์สามัญ”
Gokarṇa (inferred from immediate narrative context: he addresses Śuka)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"Who are you truly—ṛṣi, purāṇa-knower, deva, or guhyaka—given your serene form and superhuman speech?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"epistemology of authority (pramāṇa)","core_concept":"Extraordinary serenity and ‘amanūṣī vāk’ are taken as signs of realized knowledge or divine proximity; the seeker tests the teacher’s standing through inquiry.","practical_application":"Before accepting instruction, inquire respectfully into the teacher’s grounding, conduct, and source of knowledge."}
Subject Matter: ["Dialogue","Hagiographic identification motifs","Philosophical authority (pramāṇa via teacher)"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: dialogue setting (सभा/आश्रम implied)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 170.55 (Śuka’s auspicious words); Varāha Purāṇa 170.57 (continued inquiry)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gokarṇa, hands folded, gazes at Śuka with astonishment, asking his identity; Śuka sits serene, luminous, with a calm smile.","item_prompts":["Gokarṇa’s questioning gesture","Śuka’s tranquil face","subtle aura/tejas around Śuka","listeners watching","scroll/manuscript nearby"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: expressive wide eyes; Gokarṇa in reverent astonishment; Śuka with stylized aura; minimal but symbolic background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: emphasize Śuka’s halo and divine radiance with gold; Gokarṇa smaller, in devotion; ornate border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate shading; realistic textiles; soft aura; composed teacher-disciple focus.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical, intimate questioning scene; gentle landscape; emphasis on facial expressions and quiet wonder."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"wonder-filled inquiry","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"reverent, questioning, slightly hushed"}
FAQs
It documents Purāṇic categories of beings (ṛṣi, deva, guhyaka) and shows how authority is negotiated through perceived qualities such as serenity and elevated speech.
No geographic marker appears in this verse; it is a personal inquiry within a dialogue.
Implicitly, it models respectful inquiry toward a teacher and careful discernment of the source of instruction.
Ask anything about this verse
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