Varaha Purana 197.28 — Adhyaya 197, Shloka 28
The Division of the Gates of Yama’s City and the Description of the Tribunal Hall
अतः परं न कर्त्तव्यं साधनं कथितं बुधैः ॥ बिभ्यन्ति ह्यसुरास्तत्र ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः ॥
ataḥ paraṃ na karttavyaṃ sādhanaṃ kathitaṃ budhaiḥ | bibhyanti hy asurās tatra ṛṣayaś ca tapodhanāḥ ||
Kaya, lampas dito, wala nang dapat pang isagawang pagsasanay—gaya ng sinabi ng mga pantas; sapagkat doon ay natatakot maging ang mga asura at ang mga rishi na may yaman ng tapa.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)
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":"concerned, cautious curiosity (implied by warning tone)","key_question":"What is the limit of sādhana here, and why does this realm/point inspire fear even in asuras and great ascetics?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Do not undertake ‘further practice beyond this’—a boundary-setting injunction: certain austerities/approaches are prohibited or ineffective past a stated limit.","karmic_consequence":"Respecting the prescribed limit prevents spiritual harm and downfall; transgressing it leads to fear, destabilization, or adverse karmic/psychic consequences."}
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":"ethics of restraint","core_concept":"Spiritual practice must be guided by wisdom and limits; excess or misdirected sādhana can be dangerous.","practical_application":"Follow competent guidance and śāstra; prioritize sattvic, measured disciplines over extreme experimentation."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ascetic Practice","Cosmology"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: liminal otherworldly zone (boundary of practice/realm)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 197 (fear motif; subsequent mention of powerful beings and Mohinī)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha delivering a stern caution at a threshold-like locale where even asuras and mighty ṛṣis recoil in fear.","item_prompts":["Dark boundary landscape (cliff/doorway/void)","Asuras and ascetics shown hesitant or trembling","Varāha with raised hand in admonition","Atmospheric gloom with a thin line of protective light"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic contrast—dark background, bold figures; Varāha’s gesture of prohibition; fearful asuras/ṛṣis with expressive eyes.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha highlighted in gold; surrounding figures subdued; threshold motif with ornate arch; emphasis on authoritative injunction.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced fear expressions; misty liminal space; Varāha calm yet firm.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: stylized rocky pass; clustered figures recoiling; Varāha as guiding protector at the front."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"low, firm, warning"}
FAQs
It records a cautionary register within Purāṇic discourse on sādhana, indicating that certain domains or procedures were framed as dangerous even for powerful beings—useful for mapping ascetic boundaries in Sanskrit literature.
No terrestrial location is named; “there” refers to the described cosmological setting.
Restraint: do not proceed beyond prescribed limits of practice; heed the guidance attributed to the wise.
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