Varaha Purana 198.22: Adhyaya 198, Shloka 22
Description of the Torments within the Cycle of Rebirth: Hymn to Yama and the Introduction to Citragupta’s Administration
ऋषिपुत्र उवाच ॥ नेच्छाम्यहं महाभाग मृत्युं वा जीवितं प्रभो ॥ यदि त्वं वरदो राजन्सर्वभूतहिते रतः
ṛṣiputra uvāca|| necchāmyahaṃ mahābhāga mṛtyuṃ vā jīvitaṃ prabho || yadi tvaṃ varado rājansarvabhūtahite rataḥ
บุตรแห่งฤๅษีกล่าวว่า: โอ มหาภาคะ โอ พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ข้าพเจ้าไม่ปรารถนาทั้งความตายหรือชีวิตเลย โอ ราชัน หากท่านเป็นผู้ประทานพรและมุ่งมั่นต่อประโยชน์สุขแห่งสรรพสัตว์—
Ṛṣiputra
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"If you are truly a boon-giver devoted to universal welfare, grant a boon aligned with dharma rather than personal gain (life/death)."}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"A boon should be sought not for personal attachment to life or fear of death, but for loka-hita (the welfare of beings) and dharmic insight.","karmic_consequence":"Desirelessness and welfare-oriented intent purify the seeker and make higher knowledge/vision attainable; selfish boons bind one to saṃsāra."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of desire and boon-seeking","core_concept":"Vairāgya: transcending the duality of life/death and orienting will toward sarva-bhūta-hita.","practical_application":"When seeking help (from deity/authority), articulate aims in terms of dharma and benefit to others, not egoic outcomes."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Philosophy of knowledge-seeking","Welfare of beings"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: court/assembly (sabhā)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: adjacent narrative on karmic administration and Citragupta (198.25–28)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble sage’s son stands before a majestic king-like divine authority, hands folded, declaring he seeks neither life nor death but a boon grounded in universal welfare.","item_prompts":["young brāhmaṇa (ṛṣiputra) with matted hair or simple topknot","añjali-mudrā","throne/royal dais suggesting cosmic authority","attendants and court pillars","calm, austere facial expression"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal divine king on ornate throne, saturated reds/greens, the brāhmaṇa in simple ochre garments with añjali, emphasis on serene śānta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central enthroned king with gold-leaf arch, jewel-toned garments; small supplicant brāhmaṇa at lower right with folded hands; minimal background, iconic symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework, soft shading; court interior with refined textiles; the brāhmaṇa’s restrained expression conveying vairāgya.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate court scene with pale background, stylized architecture; the brāhmaṇa’s humility contrasted with the ruler’s composed grandeur."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative, ethical appeal","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"vilambit (slow)","voice_tone":"steady, restrained, sincere"}
FAQs
It highlights a didactic pattern where the seeker prefers insight over personal gain, aligning knowledge with public-ethical concern (sarvabhūtahita).
No location is given; the verse sets up a request for demonstrative knowledge rather than pilgrimage geography.
It privileges inquiry and the welfare of beings over self-centered boons like longevity or death-avoidance.
Ask anything about this verse
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