Varaha Purana 116.22: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 22
An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering
मामेव न प्रपद्यन्ते ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥ एतत्ते कथितं भद्रे दुःखकर्मविनिश्चयम्
mām eva na prapadyante tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim || etat te kathitaṃ bhadre duḥkha-karma-viniścayam
他们不唯独归依于我——还有什么比这更痛苦？吉祥者啊，我已向你宣说：招致苦报之业的判定与分辨。
Varāha (default, addressing Pṛthivī)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Direct counsel to Pṛthivī: the greatest pain is non-surrender; he concludes a section on duḥkha-karmas."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"seeking remedy; receptive to a salvific orientation","key_question":"What is the decisive remedy for duḥkha-producing karma, and why is failure to take refuge in the Lord the worst misfortune?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge in the Lord) is presented as the crucial corrective; refusal to do so is the most grievous condition.","karmic_consequence":"Taking refuge leads toward release from duḥkha-karmas; non-refuge perpetuates suffering and moral downfall."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha as the cosmic rescuer becomes the inner refuge: the same power that lifts Earth lifts the jīva from karmic mire through surrender.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit: refuge in the Lord as the ‘yajña’s center’—all acts and identities find stability when offered to the divine ground (Varāha/Nārāyaṇa).","vedantic_connection":"Bhakti-vedānta emphasis: īśvara-śaraṇāgati as a means that reorients karma toward mokṣa; duḥkha arises from separation/forgetfulness of the Supreme."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriological (bhakti)","core_concept":"The gravest suffering is spiritual non-alignment—refusal of exclusive refuge in the Lord.","practical_application":"Cultivate śaraṇāgati: remembrance, prayer, ethical restraint, and offering one’s life-direction to the Lord as the ultimate support."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Karma","Devotional Orientation (as framed in text)"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Sets up 116.25–26 where ‘pāpa harmful to all beings’ and ‘śubha’ are defined and linked to devotion
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha declares the centrality of surrender; Bhu Devi appears relieved yet solemn, as if receiving a decisive spiritual key.","item_prompts":["Varāha with open palm (abhaya/teaching)","Bhu Devi with folded hands","radiant aura signifying ‘mām eva’ (me alone)","dark cloud receding (duḥkha-karmas)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: luminous Varāha with strong halo; Bhu Devi in añjali; stylized dark-to-light gradient behind them to show duḥkha to refuge.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heavy gold-leaf aura around Varāha; embossed rays; Bhu Devi kneeling; symbolic chains breaking near the base.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant, devotional intimacy; subtle light around Varāha’s face; minimal background; emphasis on bhakti mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: gentle pastoral setting; a beam of light from Varāha to Bhu Devi; narrative clarity with soft colors."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, devotional resolve","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"deep, reassuring yet emphatic"}
FAQs
It marks a summarizing turn typical of Purāṇic instruction, closing a list of observed sufferings with a doctrinal conclusion.
None is identified in this verse.
The passage frames ‘refuge’ (prapatti) as a remedy to suffering-producing conduct, while maintaining a didactic focus on consequences of action.
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.