Varaha Purana 167.12 — Adhyaya 167, Shloka 12
The Glory of the Viśrānti Tīrtha and the Account of a Rākṣasa’s Liberation
तत्रागत्य च रक्षस्तु ब्राह्मणं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ राक्षस उवाच ॥ अहं दास्यामि ते विप्र यत्ते मनसि वर्तते ॥
tatrāgatya ca rakṣas tu brāhmaṇaṃ vākyam abravīt || rākṣasa uvāca || ahaṃ dāsyāmi te vipra yat te manasi vartate ||
Đến nơi ấy, rākṣasa nói với vị brāhmaṇa: “Hỡi vipra, điều gì ở trong tâm ông, ta sẽ ban cho đúng như ý nguyện.”
Rākṣasa
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":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"alert, curious about the moral test unfolding","key_question":"When a dangerous being offers a boon, what should a righteous brāhmaṇa ask, and how is desire to be disciplined into dharma?"}
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":"ethics of desire and boons","core_concept":"Power is morally ambiguous; the righteous convert threat into dharmic opportunity by choosing boons aligned with welfare rather than greed.","practical_application":"When offered advantage (even legitimately), examine intention; choose requests that reduce harm, increase protection, or advance dharma rather than personal indulgence."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Pilgrimage","Dialogue"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: encounter site (forest-edge/travel camp)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: continuation where the brāhmaṇa states his wish and the narrative resolves the thief/caravan episode
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A rākṣasa approaches the brāhmaṇa respectfully yet ominously, offering a boon; the caravan watches in tense silence.","item_prompts":["rākṣasa with imposing form but folded hands/supplicant posture","brāhmaṇa calm, unafraid","protective boundary line/circle","watchful merchants","night/forest backdrop"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic rākṣasa visage with ornate styling, brāhmaṇa serene within a luminous protective circle, onlookers arranged rhythmically.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-highlighted boon-offer moment, rākṣasa richly patterned, brāhmaṇa with radiant halo, embossed border motifs.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced composition, expressive faces, subtle supernatural aura, fine detailing of garments and jewelry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate dialogue under trees, rākṣasa slightly larger scale, brāhmaṇa composed, caravan figures as narrative chorus."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"suspenseful, wondrous","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"dramatic, controlled"}
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative device: a morally charged encounter between a brāhmaṇa and a non-human being, used to explore duty, merit, and consequence through dialogue.
No specific location is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition (“there, having come”).
The verse sets up an exchange of intention and request—ethical evaluation will hinge on what is desired (“whatever is in your mind”) and how it is obtained.
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