Varaha Purana 155.22 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 22
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
मिथ्या प्रभाषसे साधो त्वं पुनः कथमेष्यसि ॥ को हि रक्षोमुखाद्भ्रष्टो मानुषो यो निवर्तते ॥
mithyā prabhāṣase sādho tvaṃ punaḥ katham eṣyasi | ko hi rakṣomukhād bhraṣṭo mānuṣo yo nivartate |
“Mali ang iyong sinasabi, mabuting ginoo—paano ka pa muling makababalik? Sapagkat sinong tao, kapag nahulog na sa bibig ng isang rākṣasa, ang nakababalik pa?”
Brahmarākṣasa
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":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"How can your promise be true—who ever returns after entering a rākṣasa’s mouth?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
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":"Epistemic ethics (trust and truth)","core_concept":"Promises are tested against worldly plausibility; dharma may demand truthfulness even when outcomes seem impossible.","practical_application":"When making vows or agreements, anticipate skepticism; ground commitments in integrity and be prepared to demonstrate reliability through action."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Skepticism and trust","Dialogue"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: Dialogue scene (liminal/unsafe space)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155.19–22 (Sudhana’s vow and terms)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The Brahmarākṣasa bluntly challenges Sudhana’s claim, evoking the terrifying finality of being swallowed—an image of irreversible doom used to pressure the devotee.","item_prompts":["open rākṣasa mouth as symbolic threat (not necessarily literal action)","Sudhana steady, unshaken","dark background emphasizing danger","gesture of accusation (‘mithyā’)","tense space between the two figures"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic facial expression and hand gesture for ‘mithyā’; rākṣasa’s mouth/teeth stylized; Sudhana calm with devotional composure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: high-contrast composition; demon’s threatening visage at side; Sudhana near a small sacred lamp; gold used to sanctify the vow’s presence amid danger.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined but intense expressions; controlled depiction of threat without gore; focus on psychological pressure in dialogue.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: symbolic depiction—rākṣasa’s mouth as a dark arc; Sudhana as a small but resolute figure; sparse setting amplifying existential tension."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Challenging, ominous skepticism","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"Medium-slow","voice_tone":"Low, probing, slightly menacing"}
FAQs
It dramatizes the tension between vow-claims and pragmatic doubt, a recurring narrative device used to foreground truth (satya) as a later argumentative theme.
No location is mentioned.
The verse raises the ethical problem of credibility: claims must be tested against realistic expectations and prior experience.
Ask anything about this verse
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