Varaha Purana 155.22 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 22
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
मिथ्या प्रभाषसे साधो त्वं पुनः कथमेष्यसि ॥ को हि रक्षोमुखाद्भ्रष्टो मानुषो यो निवर्तते ॥
mithyā prabhāṣase sādho tvaṃ punaḥ katham eṣyasi | ko hi rakṣomukhād bhraṣṭo mānuṣo yo nivartate |
Này người hiền, ngươi nói dối—làm sao còn có thể trở lại lần nữa? Có người nào đã rơi vào miệng rākṣasa mà còn quay về được chăng?
Brahmarākṣasa
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"How can your promise be true—who ever returns after entering a rākṣasa’s mouth?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
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":"Epistemic ethics (trust and truth)","core_concept":"Promises are tested against worldly plausibility; dharma may demand truthfulness even when outcomes seem impossible.","practical_application":"When making vows or agreements, anticipate skepticism; ground commitments in integrity and be prepared to demonstrate reliability through action."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Skepticism and trust","Dialogue"]
Primary Rasa: bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: Dialogue scene (liminal/unsafe space)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155.19–22 (Sudhana’s vow and terms)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The Brahmarākṣasa bluntly challenges Sudhana’s claim, evoking the terrifying finality of being swallowed—an image of irreversible doom used to pressure the devotee.","item_prompts":["open rākṣasa mouth as symbolic threat (not necessarily literal action)","Sudhana steady, unshaken","dark background emphasizing danger","gesture of accusation (‘mithyā’)","tense space between the two figures"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic facial expression and hand gesture for ‘mithyā’; rākṣasa’s mouth/teeth stylized; Sudhana calm with devotional composure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: high-contrast composition; demon’s threatening visage at side; Sudhana near a small sacred lamp; gold used to sanctify the vow’s presence amid danger.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined but intense expressions; controlled depiction of threat without gore; focus on psychological pressure in dialogue.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: symbolic depiction—rākṣasa’s mouth as a dark arc; Sudhana as a small but resolute figure; sparse setting amplifying existential tension."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Challenging, ominous skepticism","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"Medium-slow","voice_tone":"Low, probing, slightly menacing"}
FAQs
It dramatizes the tension between vow-claims and pragmatic doubt, a recurring narrative device used to foreground truth (satya) as a later argumentative theme.
No location is mentioned.
The verse raises the ethical problem of credibility: claims must be tested against realistic expectations and prior experience.
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