Varaha Purana 10.56 — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 56
The Threefold Division by the Guṇas, the Deities’ Attainment of Worship, and the Opening of the Durjaya Episode
क्षीराब्धौ यत्र देवेशो हरिः शेते स्वयं प्रभुः । तत्र विज्ञापयामासुः सर्वे प्रणतिपूर्वकम् ॥ १०.५७ ॥
kṣīrābdhau yatra deveśo hariḥ śete svayaṃ prabhuḥ | tatra vijñāpayāmāsuḥ sarve praṇatipūrvakam || 10.57 ||
دودھ کے سمندر میں، جہاں دیوتاؤں کے ایش ہری خود مختار رب کی طرح آرام فرما ہیں، وہاں سب نے سجدہ و تعظیم کے ساتھ اپنی عرضداشت پیش کی۔
Narrative voice (speaker not explicit in excerpt); default dialogue framework: Varāha–Pṛthivī context
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","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":"None","instruction_summary":"Proper approach to the Lord: petition (vijñāpana) should be preceded by praṇati (reverential bowing), modeling humility and protocol of devotion.","karmic_consequence":"Praṇati with sincere petition invites divine response and protection; arrogance blocks grace (implicit)."}
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":"theology of divine sovereignty","core_concept":"Hari as svayaṃ-prabhu (self-sovereign) remains the ultimate refuge; surrender and petition are legitimate means within cosmic governance.","practical_application":"Before asking for help, cultivate praṇati—humility, reverence, and clarity of request; align personal aims with restoration of dharma."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Vaishnava iconography","Mythic geography"]
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Type: mythic ocean / divine abode (Ananta-śayana locus)
Related Themes: Continuation of the devas’ refuge narrative; likely leads to Viṣṇu’s intervention/avatāra resolve in subsequent verses
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the Milk Ocean, Hari reclines in majesty; the gods arrive, bow first, then present their petition in orderly reverence.","item_prompts":["Ocean of Milk with white waves","Ananta/Śeṣa couch","reclining Hari with lotus and conch/discus motifs","cluster of devas in añjali-mudrā","soft celestial light"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Ananta-śayana on milky waters; devas in neat rows offering praṇati; rich blues/whites with strong outlines and serene expressions.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central reclining Hari with heavy gold-leaf ornaments and prabhā; Śeṣa hood jeweled; devas small but radiant, hands folded; ornate frame-like composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate shading on Hari’s form; luminous milk-ocean; devas rendered with refined jewelry; emphasis on calm divinity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical milky seascape; Hari on serpent couch under many hoods; devas as a colorful cluster at shore/edge, conveying humility and awe."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"serene supplication","suggested_raga":"Yaman (or Kalyani)","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"calm, resonant, devotional with gentle cadence"}
FAQs
It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic narrative convention: divine beings approach Viṣṇu in the cosmic Milk-Ocean setting to present a petition, illustrating the text’s participation in pan-Indian mythic cosmology and courtly petition idioms.
The verse names Kṣīrābdhi (the Ocean of Milk), a mythic-cosmological locus rather than a terrestrial site; in scholarship it is treated as part of Purāṇic cosmography rather than a directly mappable modern geography.
The verse foregrounds a philosophical instruction about discourse and authority: requests should be presented with humility and respectful conduct (praṇati-pūrvakam), emphasizing etiquette, restraint, and procedural reverence in approaching power.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
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.