Varaha Purana 3.22: Adhyaya 3, Shloka 22
Nārada’s Account of a Former Birth and a Hymn to Nārāyaṇa
इति श्रुत्वा वचो मह्यं देवदेवः सनातनः । उवाच प्रकृतिं विप्र संसारस्वाक्षयामिमाम् ॥ ३.२२ ॥
iti śrutvā vaco mahyaṃ devadevaḥ sanātanaḥ | uvāca prakṛtiṃ vipra saṃsārasvākṣayām imām || 3.22 ||
Nghe lời tôi như vậy, Đấng Thường Hằng, Chúa tể của chư thiên, phán: “Này Bà-la-môn, Ta sẽ tuyên bày Prakṛti này—nền tảng bất hoại của luân hồi (saṃsāra).”
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"dialogue","earth_interaction":"Instructional address within the Varāha–Bhū dialogue frame; Varāha speaks as revealer of ontology rather than acting physically upon Earth."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious; seeking metaphysical grounding for saṃsāra","key_question":"What is Prakṛti—the imperishable basis of saṃsāra—and how should it be understood?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha functions as the cosmic revealer: the same Lord who lifts Earth also ‘lifts’ the intellect by disclosing Prakṛti as the durable ground of manifest experience; rescue becomes epistemic liberation.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit: the Lord as ‘sanātana’ source of order (ṛta) who stabilizes the world-process (saṃsāra) by naming its substrate (Prakṛti).","vedantic_connection":"Bridges Sāṃkhya vocabulary with Vaiṣṇava theism: Prakṛti as upādāna for jagat under the Lord’s governance; knowledge of tattvas is a step toward viveka and mokṣa."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Sāṃkhya-Vaiṣṇava ontology","core_concept":"Prakṛti as imperishable basis of worldly becoming, to be explained by the Lord as authoritative tattva-jñāna.","practical_application":"Cultivate discrimination (viveka) between changing phenomena and their substrate; use scriptural instruction to orient sādhanā toward liberation rather than mere worldly aims."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Philosophy (Sāṃkhya-related terms)","Ontology of Prakṛti"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: surrounding Prakṛti–tattva exposition in the same adhyāya (3.3)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha as divine teacher speaking solemnly, the cosmos implied as backdrop; the emphasis is on revelation of Prakṛti rather than action.","item_prompts":["Varāha with calm, instructive gesture (abhaya/varada or teaching mudrā)","subtle cosmic diagram motifs (tattva wheel, guṇa strands)","listener figure implied (brāhmaṇa interlocutor / Bhū-devī as attentive presence)","aura signifying ‘sanātana’ divinity"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Varāha as serene guru with large expressive eyes, flat luminous background, stylized tattva-wheel behind, restrained palette with sacred reds/ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central seated Varāha with ornate crown and gold-leaf halo; embossed tattva symbols around; minimal narrative clutter, emphasis on divinity and instruction.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate linework, soft shading; Varāha in teaching posture, subtle guṇa ribbons (sattva/rajas/tamas) floating, refined jewelry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate teaching scene on a terrace-like cosmic plane; Varāha speaking, listener seated; stylized mountains replaced by layered cosmic bands."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative, didactic","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"steady, authoritative, serene"}
FAQs
It illustrates a Purāṇic teaching style in which cosmological/philosophical categories (such as Prakṛti and saṃsāra) are introduced through dialogue, reflecting the integration of older philosophical vocabulary into narrative scripture.
No geographic location is mentioned in this verse; the focus is conceptual (Prakṛti and the imperishable basis of saṃsāra).
Rather than a direct moral injunction, the verse frames a philosophical instruction: understanding the enduring basis (Prakṛti) underlying worldly experience, which supports reflective discernment in later ethical reasoning.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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.