Varaha Purana 7.17 — Adhyaya 7, Shloka 17
The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu
Gadādhara
अधीश्वरो नाम परः पिता ऽस्य कृष्णो वृत्त्या कर्मणा चापि कृष्णः । एतेन कृष्णेन हताः पुरा वै जन्मन्यनेके ऋषयः पुराणाः ॥ ७.१७ ॥
adhīśvaro nāma paraḥ pitā ’sya kṛṣṇo vṛttyā karmaṇā cāpi kṛṣṇaḥ | etena kṛṣṇena hatāḥ purā vai janmany aneke ṛṣayaḥ purāṇāḥ || 7.17 ||
บิดาสูงสุดของเขามีนามว่า ‘อธีศวร’; ทั้งโดยนิสัยและโดยกรรม เขาก็เป็น ‘กฤษณะ’ ด้วย และกฤษณะผู้นี้ ในกาลก่อน ณ ชาติหนึ่ง ได้สังหารฤๅษีโบราณเป็นอันมาก
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"How do names like ‘Kṛṣṇa’ function as moral/theological etymology, and what does genealogy reveal about karmic history across births?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Mathurā-maṇḍala (general)","parikrama_context":"Implicit: genealogical/theonym ‘Kṛṣṇa’ can foreshadow later Mathurā-centered Kṛṣṇa narratives, though no parikramā is stated.","krishna_connection":"Yes—‘Kṛṣṇa’ as a name tied to disposition/action; anticipates later Vaiṣṇava Kṛṣṇa theology, but here used as a moral epithet and genealogical marker."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"A name can be grounded in guṇa/karma (‘by disposition and action’), implying moral accountability across incarnations.","karmic_consequence":"Violence against ṛṣis accrues heavy demerit leading to naraka/low rebirth; moral ‘blackness’ (kṛṣṇatā) is karmically consequential."}
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":"karma-and-nāma","core_concept":"Nāma is not merely conventional; it can signify inner disposition (svabhāva) and karmic patterning.","practical_application":"Cultivate sattvic conduct so that one’s ‘name’ (reputation/identity) aligns with dharma; avoid violence toward the holy and learned."}
Subject Matter: ["Puranic Narrative","Theological Etymology","Mythic Genealogy","Incarnation Accounts"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: None
Related Themes: 7.7.18 (naraka outcome)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic disclosure: the speaker narrates a lineage—Adhīśvara as father, ‘Kṛṣṇa’ as epithet by nature and deed—while evoking a past scene of slain ancient ṛṣis.","item_prompts":["teacher-like narrator posture","genealogical ‘thread’ motif (lineage)","shadowy vignette of fallen ṛṣis in the background","contrast of ‘kṛṣṇa’ (dark) aura around the perpetrator"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: narrator in calm stance; background vignette of ṛṣis with muted sorrow; use symbolic dark halo for ‘kṛṣṇa’ disposition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central narrator with ornate frame; small inset panel showing ṛṣis; gold accents for divine genealogy, darker tones for sinful action.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined storytelling composition; subtle chiaroscuro to suggest ‘kṛṣṇa’ as moral darkness.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: miniature-style narrative with inset scenes; sages in forest setting; genealogical narration in foreground."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, explanatory, slightly ominous"}
FAQs
It illustrates a Purāṇic technique of nāma-nirukti (name-explanation) and theological genealogy, linking an epithet (Kṛṣṇa) to character (vṛtti) and deeds (karma), a common strategy in Purāṇic redaction and sectarian memory.
No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse; it is primarily concerned with naming, lineage, and a past narrative event (a prior birth/incarnation).
The verse does not present a direct prescriptive ethic; its philosophical instruction is descriptive—emphasizing that identity and reputation are framed through disposition and actions (vṛtti and karma).
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