Varaha Purana 132.5 — Adhyaya 132, Shloka 5

Expiatory Rites for Contact with a Corpse and with a Menstruating Woman

Devanagari script

चिह्नमैतद्वरारोहे आधिचारविनिश्चयः ॥ पुरुषः स्त्रीषु कर्माणि यो विकुर्वीत निर्घृणः ॥

Transliteration

cihnam etad varārohe ādhicāra-viniścayaḥ | puruṣaḥ strīṣu karmāṇi yo vikurvīta nirghṛṇaḥ ||

Translation

“اے خوش کمر والی! یہ ایک نشان ہے—بدکرداری کے بارے میں قطعی فیصلہ: وہ مرد جو بے رحمی سے عورتوں کے ساتھ ناروا افعال کرے۔”

Word by Word

• cihnam: sign/mark

• etat: this

• varārohe: O woman of beautiful thighs (voc.)

• ādhicāra: wrongful transgression/abuse of conduct

• viniścayaḥ: determination/ascertainment

• puruṣaḥ: man

• strīṣu: toward/among women

• karmāṇi: acts/deeds

• yaḥ: who

• vikurvīta: would do/commits (improperly)

• nirghṛṇaḥ: pitiless/without compassion

Speaker

Varāha

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Direct address to Bhū Devī (‘varārohe’), defining a diagnostic ‘sign’ of wrongful conduct affecting society upon Earth."}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"concerned, seeking moral clarity; positioned as listener to a diagnostic of adharma","key_question":"What constitutes the identifiable mark (cihna) of wrongful conduct, especially regarding harm toward women?"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"A key marker of adharma is cruel/improper sexual or social misconduct toward women performed without compassion (nirghṛṇa).","karmic_consequence":"Such cruelty becomes the basis for visible karmic fruit and necessitates expiation; it obstructs purity and invites suffering and social disorder."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethical discernment (viveka)","core_concept":"Nirdayatā (lack of compassion) is itself a diagnostic sign of adharma; harm to women is treated as a grave moral transgression with definable criteria.","practical_application":"Cultivate compassion and restraint; recognize and prevent gendered harm; treat cruelty as a red-flag requiring correction, accountability, and reform."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Social Conduct","Gendered Harm and Moral Transgression"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuṇa

Geographic Context

Type: None

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 132.6 (manifest fruit of the offence); Varāha Purāṇa 132.7 (purity blocked; prāyaścitta to be taught)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha points out the ‘sign’ of wrongful conduct: a cruel man committing improper acts toward women; the scene is didactic, not voyeuristic.","item_prompts":["Varāha in teaching posture","symbolic depiction of ‘adhicāra’ as dark aura around an offender","women shown respectfully as protected figures (not explicit harm)","scales of justice / dharma emblem"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: allegorical composition—Varāha teaching; a shadowy figure representing cruelty; women depicted as dignified, protected; strong color contrast to mark adharma.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Varāha with gold halo; side vignette of ‘adharma’ as darkened figure; dharma symbols (chakra, śaṅkha) emphasizing protection.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined allegory; minimal narrative vignette; emphasis on facial expression and moral gravity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative panel with clear separation—teacher scene and symbolic ‘adharma’ vignette; soft palette but sharp moral contrast."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory, protective, ethically intense","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, judicial, with emphasis on ‘nirghṛṇa’ and ‘vikurvīta’"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa
• Ethics
• Dharma-śāstra

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects Dharma-śāstric vocabulary used to classify and evaluate transgressions, showing how Purāṇas sometimes function as ethical handbooks.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is mentioned.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Harmful or coercive conduct toward women is treated as a serious moral transgression, characterized by the absence of compassion (nirghṛṇatā).