Varaha Purana 5.43 — Adhyaya 5, Shloka 43
Reconciliation of Action and Knowledge: Offering All Acts to Nārāyaṇa and the Hymn to the Yajña-Puruṣa
कपिलस्य वचः श्रुत्वा स राजाऽश्वशिरा विभुः । ज्येष्ठं पुत्रं समाहूय धन्यं स्थूलशिराह्वयम् । अभिषिच्य निजे राज्ये स राजा प्रययौ वनम् ॥ ५.४३ ॥
kapilasya vacaḥ śrutvā sa rājā’śvaśirā vibhuḥ | jyeṣṭhaṁ putraṁ samāhūya dhanyaṁ sthūlaśirāhvayam | abhiṣicya nije rājye sa rājā prayayau vanam || 5.43 ||
ครั้นได้สดับถ้อยคำของกบิล ฤๅษีแล้ว พระราชาอัศวศิระผู้ทรงเดชได้เรียกโอรสองค์โต ธันยะ ผู้มีนามว่า สถูลศิระ มาทรงประกอบพิธีราชาภิเษกในแว่นแคว้นของตน แล้วพระราชาเสด็จสู่ป่า
Varāha (default narrative frame; speaker not explicit in this excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"After receiving dharmic counsel, the king should ensure orderly succession by installing the eldest qualified son and then enter vānaprastha/forest-life.","karmic_consequence":"Proper succession preserves social order and earns merit; failure invites instability, adharma, and karmic blame for disorder."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Āśrama-dharma and detachment","core_concept":"Right action includes timely transfer of power and turning toward tapas/renunciation.","practical_application":"Fulfill responsibilities, then consciously reduce attachment—delegate, simplify life, and pursue spiritual discipline without harming dependents."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship and succession","Renunciation (vānaprastha)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: royal court to forest (āraṇya) transition
Related Themes: 5.5.42 (inner worship as basis for right living); 5.5.44 (tapas and stotra in a tīrtha)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Aśvaśiras hears Kapila’s counsel, summons his eldest son Dhanya (Sthūlaśiras), performs consecration, and departs toward the forest with renunciate resolve.","item_prompts":["sage Kapila seated as counselor","king Aśvaśiras listening","prince Dhanya/Sthūlaśiras receiving abhiṣeka (water-pot, crown)","king turning away toward forest path with staff or simple cloak"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: court scene with Kapila in saffron; abhiṣeka moment with ritual vessels; final panel-like transition showing king walking to stylized forest; strong narrative clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: abhiṣeka as central tableau with gold ornamentation; king and prince richly adorned; Kapila as serene anchor; background temple-like arch.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant court interior; subtle emotion—king’s calm detachment; soft forest vignette in distance; restrained gold highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: split-scene composition—court consecration and winding path into pine-like hills; delicate faces; emphasis on poignant departure."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative, dignified","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, story-telling with restrained gravity"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative pattern: a king receives authoritative counsel, installs an heir through consecration, and withdraws to the forest—reflecting ideals of orderly succession and life-stage transition in South Asian literary culture.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it refers generally to 'the forest' (vanam) as a conventional setting for withdrawal and ascetic life.
The verse emphasizes responsible governance through legitimate succession (abhiṣeka of the heir) and disciplined renunciation, presenting abdication as a regulated ethical choice rather than disorderly abandonment.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.