Varaha Purana 55.2 — Adhyaya 55, Shloka 2
Observance of the Auspicious Dvādaśī Vow and the Sacred Account of the Kubjākāmra Tīrtha
मार्गशीर्षेऽथ मासे तु प्रथमह्नात् समारभेत् । एकभक्तं सिते पक्षे यावत् स्याद् दशमी तिथिः ॥ ५५.२ ॥
mārgaśīrṣe ’tha māse tu prathamāhnāt samārabhet | ekabhaktaṃ site pakṣe yāvat syād daśamī tithiḥ || 55.2 ||
তারপর মার্গশীর্ষ মাসে প্রথম দিন থেকে আরম্ভ করবে; শুক্লপক্ষে প্রতিদিন একবার আহার করবে, যতক্ষণ না দশমী তিথি আসে।
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"How should the vow be begun and regulated in time—month, fortnight, and dietary rule?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"Implicit: the vrata is Vaiṣṇava; later ‘Kṛṣṇāya’ formula appears, but here it is calendrical discipline."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"Begin in Mārgaśīrṣa from the 1st day; in śukla-pakṣa observe ekabhakta (single daily meal) until Daśamī.","karmic_consequence":"Proper timing and niyama qualify the observance for its promised fruit; mistiming/niyama-bhaṅga undermines efficacy (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Mārgaśīrṣa-śukla ekabhakta vrata leading up to Daśamī (as part of a larger Viṣṇu-vrata)","tithi_month":"Mārgaśīrṣa, śukla-pakṣa, from Prathamā to Daśamī","promised_fruit":"Preparation for the main observance culminating in Viṣṇu’s grace (fruit detailed across the sequence)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"discipline and intentionality","core_concept":"Spiritual attainment is supported by regulated time (kāla) and restraint (ekabhakta) as embodied devotion.","practical_application":"Adopt a structured regimen: set start-date, maintain dietary restraint consistently, track tithis carefully."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Practice","Calendar Studies"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: None
Type: kāla (ritual time)
Related Themes: 55.55.3 (Daśamī midday bath and worship; saṅkalpa for Dvādaśī)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher (Varāha as narrator in the Purāṇic dialogue) lays out a calendar-based vrata regimen: Mārgaśīrṣa, bright fortnight, single-meal discipline up to Daśamī.","item_prompts":["lunar fortnight motif (crescent to full)","calendar/patra with tithis marked","a devotee taking one simple meal","ritual purity setting (water pot, clean space)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symbolic lunar arc above, devotee in simple white, teacher-figure gesturing to a stylized calendar panel; warm earthy tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: icon-like devotee with gold highlights, decorative lunar symbols, ornate border framing the ‘śukla-pakṣa’ progression.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined depiction of a household devotee observing ekabhakta, subtle calendar cues, gentle interior lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: narrative vignette with moon phases in the sky, devotee in a courtyard, delicate lines and cool night-to-day transitions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"procedural, steady","suggested_raga":"Kalyani/Yaman family (measured instruction)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"precise, calm"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic integration of calendrical time (tithi and pakṣa) with regulated dietary discipline, a common feature in late-classical South Asian vrata literature and Dharma-śāstra-adjacent practice.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it is primarily a time-based (month/fortnight/tithi) instruction.
A principle of restraint and intentional regulation of consumption—maintaining a once-daily meal (ekabhakta) during the bright fortnight until Daśamī.
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