Varaha Purana 47.11 — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 11
The Rite of Śrāvaṇa Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī (Dāmodara Worship) and the Exemplum of King Nṛga
तावत् तत्रैव लुब्धानां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । आगतानि मृगान् हन्तुं रात्रौ राज्ञः समन्ततः ॥ ४७.११ ॥
tāvat tatraiva lubdhānāṁ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa | āgatāni mṛgān hantuṁ rātrau rājñaḥ samantataḥ || 47.11 ||
ขณะนั้นเอง ณ ที่เดิมในยามราตรี พรานหนึ่งหมื่นสี่พันคนมาถึงเพื่อฆ่ากวาง และล้อมพระราชาไว้ทุกทิศทาง
Varāha (default narrative voice within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Mass hunting driven by lōbha/hiṃsā is adharma; night-surrounding of an unsuspecting person intensifies culpability (stealth-violence).","karmic_consequence":"Hiṃsā and predatory intent accumulate pāpa leading to fear, downfall, and punitive retribution in narrative causality."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"moral psychology","core_concept":"Lobha multiplies itself—greed becomes collective, organized violence; adharma gains ‘numbers’ when unchecked.","practical_application":"Do not normalize group wrongdoing; resist mob-ethics, especially when harm is rationalized as livelihood or sport."}
Subject Matter: ["Kingship","Ethics","Violence and Restraint","Courtly Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: encircled forest clearing
Related Themes: Hunters’ recognition of the king and report to their leader (next verses)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At night, a vast ring of hunters emerges from the darkness, surrounding the sleeping king, weapons ready, eyes fixed on prey.","item_prompts":["torchlight points in darkness","hunters with bows, spears, nets","circular encirclement composition","sleeping king at center","forest shadows","deer silhouettes in distance"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: rhythmic repetition of hunter figures forming a mandala-like ring; dramatic chiaroscuro via stylized torches.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central sleeping figure; surrounding hunters as a decorative border; gold highlights on weapons and ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: cinematic night scene; realistic torch glow; tense facial expressions; depth through layered trees.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: simplified night palette; ring of figures on a hillside clearing; expressive minimalism emphasizing menace."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"tense, urgent","suggested_raga":"Āhīr Bhairav","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"firm, suspenseful"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif—royal hunting and sudden escalation—used to frame discussions of governance, restraint, and the social consequences of violence.
No specific toponym is stated in this verse; it only indicates “tatraiva” (“in that very place”), requiring nearby verses for geographic identification.
Implicitly, the verse foregrounds the scale and intensity of collective violence (mass hunting), setting up an ethical reflection in context on restraint, protection, and the king’s responsibility amid disorder.
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