Varaha Purana 6.19: Adhyaya 6, Shloka 19
The Puṇḍarīkākṣapāraka Hymn and Puṣkara Tīrtha: The Account of King Vasu’s Release from Sin
रक्ताक्षो ह्रस्वकायस्तु दग्धस्थूणासमप्रभः । उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा किं करोमि नराधिप ॥ ६.१९ ॥
raktākṣo hrasvakāyas tu dagdhasthūṇāsamaprabhaḥ | uvāca prāñjalir bhūtvā kiṃ karomi narādhipa || 6.19 ||
سرخ آنکھوں والا، پست قامت، جلی ہوئی ستون جیسی چمک رکھنے والا وہ ہاتھ باندھ کر بولا: “اے نرادھپ! میں کیا کروں؟”
Unspecified figure (defaulted within the Varāha Purāṇa dialogue framework: addressed to a king; speaker not explicitly named in this fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","key_question":"Explicit: ‘What shall I do, O lord of men?’—a request for command/duty from the king."}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"A subordinate/agent approaches the king with humility (añjali) and seeks explicit instruction before acting—proper protocol in royal ethics.","karmic_consequence":"Following proper deference and command-structure supports righteous governance and reduces adharmic, impulsive action; ignoring it leads to disorder and blame for unauthorized violence."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Ethics of agency","core_concept":"Power should be yoked to rightful authority and humility; even a fearsome being must seek dharmic direction.","practical_application":"Before acting, seek clarity of duty (svadharma) and legitimate authorization; cultivate humility even when capable of force."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship","Dialogue","Ritual Etiquette"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: dāsya
Type: Royal encounter / courtly or roadside meeting implied
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: didactic passages on rājadharma and proper conduct of agents (general thematic parallel)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A short, red-eyed, ash-radiant figure like a charred pillar stands before the king with folded hands, awaiting orders.","item_prompts":["short stature figure","red eyes (raktākṣa)","glow like burnt pillar (dagdha-sthūṇā)","añjali-mudrā","king seated or standing in authority"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized ‘charred pillar’ sheen using dark browns and ember highlights; the king richly adorned; clear añjali gesture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king on throne with gold embellishments; the ash-glowing figure in front with stark contrast; ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined facial expressions—fearsome yet deferential; detailed textiles for the king; subtle smoky aura around the figure.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate court scene with minimal props; expressive eyes; warm earthy palette to suggest ‘burnt’ radiance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Tense but formal","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"measured, with respectful lift on ‘kiṃ karomi narādhipa’"}
FAQs
It preserves a conventional Purāṇic narrative motif: a subordinate or awe-struck figure approaches a ruler with the respectful prāñjali gesture, framing ethical and administrative action as something to be clarified through dialogue.
No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse; the content is descriptive and dialogic rather than topographic.
The verse foregrounds humility and deference in counsel-seeking: the speaker explicitly requests instruction (“What shall I do?”), indicating that right action is to be guided by deliberation and legitimate authority.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.