Varaha Purana 24.21 — Adhyaya 24, Shloka 21

The Birth of the Nāgas, Brahmā’s Curse, and the Pañcamī Observance

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । यदि नाम मया सृष्टा भवन्तः कुटिलाशयाः । ततः किं मनुजान् नित्यं भक्षयध्वं गतव्यथाः ॥ २४.२१ ॥

Transliteration

brahmovāca | yadi nāma mayā sṛṣṭā bhavantaḥ kuṭilāśayāḥ | tataḥ kiṃ manujān nityaṃ bhakṣayadhvaṃ gatavyathāḥ || 24.21 ||

Translation

พระพรหมตรัสว่า “แม้จะเป็นจริงว่าข้าสร้างพวกเจ้าด้วยเจตนาคดเคี้ยว แล้วจะเป็นไรเล่า? เหตุใดพวกเจ้าจึงเขมือบมนุษย์อยู่เนืองนิตย์ ราวกับไร้ทุกข์และไม่หวั่นผลกรรม?”

Word by Word

• brahmā-uvāca: Brahmā said

• yadi: if

• nāma: indeed/for argument’s sake

• mayā: by me

• sṛṣṭāḥ: created

• bhavantaḥ: you (plural)

• kuṭila-āśayāḥ: having crooked intentions/devious dispositions

• tataḥ: then/from that

• kim: what?

• manujān: human beings

• nityam: always/constantly

• bhakṣayadhvam: you devour (2nd pl. middle/imperative-like usage)

• gata-vyathāḥ: having gone beyond pain/distress

• (implied) kutaḥ/kimartham: why/for what reason (sense in context).

Speaker

Brahmā

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","key_question":"If your origin is attributed to my creation, what justification does that give for continually devouring humans without fear of consequence?"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Creation or innate disposition is not a moral license; predation on humans is blameworthy and invites accountability.","karmic_consequence":"Unchecked हिंसा (harm) accrues demerit and leads to suffering/retaliation and punitive outcomes; restraint aligns with order and reduces karmic burden."}

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":"ethics of agency","core_concept":"Moral responsibility is not nullified by origin, nature, or alleged predestination; intentional harm remains culpable.","practical_application":"Do not excuse wrongdoing as ‘inborn’ or ‘created so’; adopt restraint and accountability in social conduct."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Cosmology","Moral Accountability"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic court/dialogue setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Varaha Purana 24.24.22-25 (boundary-setting compact and relocation)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brahmā, seated in a cosmic assembly, admonishes the Nāgas for devouring humans, his hand raised in questioning reproach while the Nāgas appear defensive or sullen.","item_prompts":["Brahmā with four faces and kamaṇḍalu","assembly hall/cosmic lotus-seat","Nāgas with hoods folded in petition/defiance","gesture of admonition (tarjanī or open palm)","humans in the background as threatened victims"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Brahmā in warm ochres and greens, stylized Nāga hoods, expressive eyes, formal court composition, minimal depth, ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central Brahmā with gold-leaf aureole, embossed ornaments, Nāgas flanking in symmetrical layout, rich reds/greens, temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework, subdued jewel tones, Brahmā’s calm but stern expression, Nāgas rendered with refined scales, soft shading.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical court scene with pale background, slender figures, Nāga hoods as decorative arcs, emphasis on narrative gesture and facial emotion."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory and judicial","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"firm, interrogative, morally weighty"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Dharma and Ethics
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic literary strategy: a creator-figure (here, Brahmā) addresses destructive beings to frame ethical responsibility within a cosmological narrative, emphasizing that origin does not justify ongoing harm.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a moral-dialogic statement rather than a passage of sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse questions the justification of continual violence against humans and implies moral accountability: even if one’s nature or origin is flawed, that does not legitimize persistent harmful action.