Varaha Purana 113.21 — Adhyaya 113, Shloka 21
Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry
Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue
अन्यद्धिरण्यकशिपुर्वरदानेन दर्पितः ॥ असावपि नृसिंहेण वपुरास्थाय नाशितः
anyaddhiraṇyakaśipurvaradānena darpitaḥ || asāvapi nṛsiṃheṇa vapurāsthāya nāśitaḥ
اور ایک اور دشمن، ہِرنیکشیپو، جو ورِدان کے سبب غرور میں مبتلا تھا، تم نے نرسِمہ کا جسمانی روپ دھار کر اسے بھی ہلاک کر دیا۔
Pṛthivī
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee","bhu_devi_state":"reverent, reflective on cosmic protection; implicitly relieved by removal of burdensome tyrants"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Mentions Narasiṃha avatāra within the broader avatāra-cycle that culminates in Kṛṣṇa traditions, but no direct Mathurā/Kṛṣṇa linkage in this verse."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A boon-fortified tyrant who becomes darpita (arrogant) and violates dharma is ultimately checked by divine intervention to restore order.","karmic_consequence":"Arrogance born of power/boons leads to downfall; protection of the righteous is reaffirmed."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theodicy / dharma-restoration","core_concept":"Īśvara’s avatāra acts as a corrective when adharma becomes entrenched through misused power.","practical_application":"Cultivate humility with power/privilege; align kingship and personal conduct with dharma to avoid self-destruction."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Mythic History"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: mythic-cosmic
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa avatāra-catalogue context (Earth recounts prior rescues)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Earth praises Viṣṇu’s Narasiṃha manifestation: the boon-proud Hiraṇyakaśipu meets destruction by the man-lion form.","item_prompts":["Narasiṃha with leonine head and human torso","Hiraṇyakaśipu as a regal asura","threshold/pillar motif (implicit Narasiṃha iconography)","aura of tejas around Narasiṃha","Pṛthivī as a goddess in añjali (optional, as narrator)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: fierce Narasiṃha with wide eyes, ornate jewelry, saturated reds/golds; asura king subdued; devotional Pṛthivī at side.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central Narasiṃha with heavy gold-leaf ornaments and prabhāmaṇḍala; Hiraṇyakaśipu beneath; rich textile patterns.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined linework, controlled ferocity in expression, luminous skin tones; subtle palace/threshold backdrop.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: dramatic yet lyrical Narasiṃha scene with simplified architecture, cool background hills, expressive faces."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic, forceful praise","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, resonant, slightly heightened on ‘nṛsiṃheṇa’ and ‘nāśitaḥ’"}
FAQs
It cross-references a widely transmitted Narasiṃha cycle, illustrating how Purāṇas interlink narratives to reinforce ethical themes such as the limits of power secured through boons.
No specific earthly location is named here; the verse functions as a narrative allusion rather than a place-based description.
Power obtained through exceptional favor (vara) can lead to moral arrogance (darpa), which is portrayed as self-defeating.
Ask anything about this verse
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