Varaha Purana 196.4 — Adhyaya 196, Shloka 4

Description of the City of Dharmarāja

Yama

Devanagari script

हर्म्यप्रासादसंबाधमहाट्टालसमन्वितम् ॥ सौवर्णेनैव महता प्राकारॆणाभिवेष्टितम् ॥

Transliteration

harmyaprāsādasaṁbādhamahāṭṭālasamanvitam || sauvarṇenaiva mahatā prākāreṇābhiveṣṭitam

Translation

แน่นขนัดด้วยคฤหาสน์และปราสาท มีหอคอยใหญ่สูงตระหง่านประกอบอยู่ และถูกโอบล้อมด้วยกำแพงเมืองทองคำอันมหึมา

Word by Word

• harmya-prāsāda-saṁbādha-mahā-aṭṭāla-samanvitam: filled with mansions and palaces, furnished with great towers
• harmya-prāsāda-saṁbādha-mahā-aṭṭāla-samanvitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: harmya (प्रातिपदिक) + prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁbādha (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + aṭṭāla (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of puram): ‘endowed with great towers, densely packed with mansions and palaces’

• sauvarṇena: with golden
• sauvarṇena: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sauvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of prākāreṇa): golden

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle: 'indeed/only')

• mahatā: great; huge
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of prākāreṇa)

• prākāreṇa: by/with a rampart; wall
• prākāreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• abhiveṣṭitam: enclosed; surrounded
• abhiveṣṭitam: Kriyā (क्रियापद-विशेषण; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√veṣṭ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि (enclosed)

Speaker

Nāciketa (continuation of description)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}

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":"inevitability of karmic result","core_concept":"The ‘golden rampart’ and towers symbolize that consequences are well-guarded and cannot be bypassed by mere wish or status.","practical_application":"Practice self-guarding (indriya-nigraha) and ethical vigilance, mirroring the city’s watchtowers."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Mythic architecture","Cosmology","Afterlife geography"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: mythic fortified metropolis

Cross References

Related Themes: Architectural intensification in the same passage (196.3–196.6)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A crowded skyline of mansions and palaces, punctuated by tall watchtowers, all enclosed by a massive golden rampart.","item_prompts":["dense palace cluster","harmony of domes and prāsādas","high watchtowers (aṭṭāla)","thick golden wall (prākāra)","gates with guardians implied"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: repeating palace motifs, tall aṭṭālas; thick golden band as prākāra; stylized guardians at gates; flat iconic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold-leaf rampart with embossed floral patterns; towering aṭṭālas with gem-like inlays; symmetrical city-gate centerpiece.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: elegant towers with fine ornament; warm gold wash; controlled perspective to show enclosure depth.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: compact cityscape with crisp towers; golden wall as a bright contour line; small figures near gates for scale."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"austere-majestic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, clipped articulation on architectural compounds"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Architectural Vocabulary
• Purāṇic Cosmography
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves specialized architectural lexicon that helps modern readers map Purāṇic imagination onto broader Sanskrit descriptive conventions.

Which geographic location is identified?

The described setting remains the mythic city of Dharmarāja (Yama), not a historical terrestrial location.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The ordered, fortified city imagery supports a worldview of structured moral governance, though the verse itself is primarily descriptive.