Varaha Purana 4.13: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 13
On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā
आसीदश्वशिरा नाम राजा परमधार्मिकः । सोऽश्वमेधेन यज्ञेन यष्ट्वा सुबहुदक्षिणः ॥ ४.१३ ॥
āsīd aśvaśirā nāma rājā paramadhārmikaḥ | so ’śvamedhena yajñena yaṣṭvā subahudakṣiṇaḥ || 4.13 ||
اشوشِرا نام کا ایک بادشاہ تھا، جو نہایت دھرم پرست تھا۔ اس نے اشومیدھ یَجْن کر کے بہت زیادہ دَکشِنا (نذرانے) عطا کیے۔
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A dhārmika king upholds śrauta ritual order (Aśvamedha) and completes it with generous dakṣiṇā to officiants.","karmic_consequence":"Properly performed royal yajña with abundant dakṣiṇā yields fame, legitimacy, and merit; miserliness/ritual breach leads to loss of puṇya and royal decline."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma (karma-yoga orientation)","core_concept":"Righteous power is stabilized by sacrifice and giving, not by force alone.","practical_application":"Support learned priests/teachers and public rites through ethical patronage; treat wealth as a means for dharma."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship","Ritual Culture","Historical Memory"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: ritual site
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 4.4.14-17 (arrival of sages; inquiry into Nārāyaṇa-upāsanā)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dhārmika king named Aśvaśirā is shown at the completion of an Aśvamedha, with priests and gifts displayed, conveying solemn royal piety and generosity.","item_prompts":["yajña-vedi with śrauta implements","brāhmaṇas receiving dakṣiṇā (cows, gold, cloth)","king in regal attire with folded hands","sacrificial pavilion banners and fire altar"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal regal king near a glowing vedi, stylized brāhmaṇas, flat warm palette, ornate jewelry, clear ritual implements.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central crowned king offering gold and cows to priests, heavy gold-leaf ornamentation on jewelry and arch, bright vermilion/green contrasts.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined linework, soft shading; king respectfully presenting dakṣiṇā beside a neat fire altar, calm dignified faces.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: hill-painting delicacy; courtly pavilion, slender figures, rhythmic arrangement of priests and gifts, cool background with minimal architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic and ceremonial","suggested_raga":"Śrī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, dignified, narrative-solemn"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic memory of idealized kingship: a ruler characterized by dharma and by public ritual patronage, reflecting how later Sanskrit traditions framed political legitimacy and generosity.
No geographic site is explicitly named in this verse; it functions as narrative setup centered on a king and a major ritual (Aśvamedha).
The verse foregrounds two virtues of rulership: commitment to dharma (paramadhārmika) and generosity through sanctioned giving (abundant dakṣiṇā) associated with public rites.
Ask anything about this verse
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