Varaha Purana 137.56 — Adhyaya 137, Shloka 56
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
वैशाख द्वादशीं प्राप्य स्नायाद्यो विधिपूर्वकम् ॥ दशवर्षसहस्राणि दश वर्षशतानि च
vaiśākha dvādaśīṃ prāpya snāyād yo vidhipūrvakam || daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśa varṣaśatāni ca
وعند حلول الدفادشي (Dvādaśī)، اليوم القمري الثاني عشر من شهر فايشاكها (Vaiśākha)، فإن من اغتسل وفق الطريقة المقررة نال ثوابًا يمتد لعشرة آلاف سنة، ويزيد عليها عشر مئات من السنين.
Varāha (default speaker framework; explicit speaker not stated in fragment)
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":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious; impressed by uniqueness claim","key_question":"Why is this vow unparalleled, even beyond the dharma-codes associated with Bṛhaspati and Yama?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"This particular vrata is declared exceptional—unfound in Bārhaspatya (Bṛhaspati-attributed) or Yāmya (Yama-attributed) dharma traditions—implying a special Vaiṣṇava/purāṇic authorization.","karmic_consequence":"Observing grants rare/unique merit beyond ordinary dharma-catalogues; ignoring forfeits an extraordinary opportunity not replaced by standard codes."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Unparalleled vrata (as defined in immediate context; likely the preceding Vaiśākha Dvādaśī snāna-vrata)","tithi_month":"As per adjacent context (Vaiśākha Dvādaśī)","promised_fruit":"Singular, unmatched phala—presented as beyond common dharma-śāstra enumerations."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Purāṇic revelation claims a ‘higher’ devotional dharma: bhakti-centered vrata transcends merely juridical/penal frameworks (Bṛhaspati as polity/ācāra; Yama as retribution).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"No explicit anatomical yajña-mapping; the ‘unfound elsewhere’ claim functions as sacral legitimation of a special rite.","vedantic_connection":"Hierarchy of means: devotionally oriented observances are framed as more direct to grace (anugraha) than rule-based merit alone."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"scriptural hierarchy and bhakti-dharma","core_concept":"Not all dharmas are equal in salvific potency; some purāṇic/Vaiṣṇava observances are presented as uniquely efficacious beyond conventional dharma corpora.","practical_application":"Treat the specified vrata as a high-priority sādhana; follow it with faith and precision rather than assuming generic dharma substitutes are equivalent."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Geography"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: None
Related Themes: Immediate prior verse(s) defining the ‘īdṛśa vrata’ (contextually the Vaiśākha Dvādaśī bath)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teaching scene where the instructor points to two symbolic ‘law-books’ labeled Bṛhaspati and Yama, while highlighting a third, radiant ‘Vaiṣṇava vrata’ text or emblem as uniquely supreme.","item_prompts":["instructor figure","three manuscripts/tablets (Bṛhaspati, Yama, Vaiṣṇava vrata)","radiant aura around the special vow","students/listeners attentive","gesture of comparison"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: didactic composition with stylized manuscripts and clear mudrās; the ‘unique vrata’ shown with a luminous aura, earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf aura around the ‘unique vrata’ emblem/text; ornate teacher figure; rich reds and greens; embossed manuscript borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined scholarly setting, detailed palm-leaf manuscripts, subtle glow effect on the highlighted vow.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate teaching under a pavilion, manuscripts displayed, gentle narrative clarity; the special vow indicated by a bright wash of color."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative, wonder-tinged","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"confident, declarative, with emphasis on ‘na…na…na vidyate’ and the contrastive names ‘bārhaspatyeṣu…yāmyeṣu’"}
FAQs
It is evidence for Purāṇic calendrical religion, linking lunar dates (dvādaśī) and month (Vaiśākha) with prescribed bathing rites and quantified merit rhetoric.
No specific site is named here; the instruction is calendrical and procedural rather than topographic.
The verse promotes disciplined observance—performing rites 'according to procedure'—as a valued form of self-regulation.
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