Varaha Purana 138.52 — Adhyaya 138, Shloka 52
The Episode of the Khañjarīṭa Bird
and the Saukarava Tīrtha’s Merit
गतः स पद्मपत्राक्ष आभीराणां जनेश्वरः ॥ गावो विंशसहस्राणि प्रेषयत्यग्रतो द्रुतम्
gataḥ sa padmapatrākṣa ābhīrāṇāṁ janeśvaraḥ || gāvo viṁśasahasrāṇi preṣayaty agrato drutam
পদ্মপত্ৰাক্ষ সেই আভীৰসকলৰ জনেশ্বৰ প্ৰস্থান কৰিলে, আৰু আগত দ্ৰুতগতিত বিশ হাজাৰ গাই আগবঢ়াই পঠিয়ালে।
Varāha (default framework; not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"A ruler/leader exemplifies dharma by organizing and dispatching large-scale go-dāna (gift/charity involving cows) as part of righteous conduct.","karmic_consequence":"Go-dāna yields great merit, prosperity, and auspicious fame; withholding/abusing cattle leads to demerit and social-spiritual decline (general dharma implication)."}
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":"rāja-dharma / leadership ethics","core_concept":"Power and wealth are validated when used for protection and generous distribution; leadership is measured by dharmic stewardship.","practical_application":"Use resources to support community welfare and sacred causes; let generosity precede personal comfort (sending wealth ahead)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 138.55 (journey motif leading into this departure)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus-eyed lord of the Ābhīras departs, while a vast herd of cows is driven swiftly ahead along the road.","item_prompts":["leader with lotus-like eyes","Ābhīra attendants/herdsmen","large herd of cows (suggested by density)","dusty road and motion lines","staff/whip carried by herders","banners or royal insignia (subtle)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic procession; repeated cow forms in rhythmic pattern; the leader centrally placed with serene face; earthy reds/ochres and strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: majestic leader with gold halo/ornament; cows rendered as a patterned mass; gold highlights on ornaments and banners; rich background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed cattle and attendants; refined facial features for ‘padmapatrākṣa’; balanced composition showing depth and movement.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: sweeping pastoral scene; cows flowing like a river across the foreground; leader slightly elevated; soft greens/browns with lyrical motion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic, energetic narration","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"resonant, commanding"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic narrative pattern in which elite generosity (notably go-dāna) signals political authority and social legitimacy, while also referencing the Ābhīras as a recognized community in the textual imagination.
No explicit place-name appears in this verse; it instead identifies a community (Ābhīras), which scholars often associate with western/central regions of the subcontinent in broader Sanskrit sources.
The verse foregrounds public generosity and the ritual-social value of gifting cattle as an ethical ideal of rulership/household virtue.
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