Varaha Purana 116.4: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 4
An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering
षष्ठ्यष्टमी ह्यमावास्या तुभयत्र चतुर्दशी ।। मैथुनं नाभिसेवेत द्वादश्यां च तथा प्रिये
ṣaṣṭhyaṣṭamī hy amāvāsyā tūbhayatra caturdaśī || maithunaṃ nābhiseveta dvādaśyāṃ ca tathā priye
Am sechsten und achten Tithi, am Amāvāsyā-Tag (Neumond) und am vierzehnten Tag in beiden Hälften (zunehmend und abnehmend) soll man keinen geschlechtlichen Verkehr ausüben; ebenso auch am zwölften Tag, o Geliebte.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha addresses Bhū Devī affectionately (‘priye’) while prescribing sexual restraint on specific tithis—protective, regulating instruction rather than physical interaction."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"attentive, concerned with dharmic regulation of desire","key_question":"On which lunar days should householders restrain sexual activity to preserve purity and dharma?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Avoid maithuna on ṣaṣṭhī, aṣṭamī, amāvāsyā, and caturdaśī in both fortnights, and also on dvādaśī.","karmic_consequence":"Restraint supports śauca, vrata-strength, and mental steadiness; indulgence on prohibited tithis weakens merit and increases agitation/tamas."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Tithi-niyama (sexual restraint aligned to ṣaṣṭhī/aṣṭamī/amāvāsyā/caturdaśī/dvādaśī)","tithi_month":"Specified tithis; month not specified; applies in both śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣa for caturdaśī","promised_fruit":"Enhanced purity and efficacy of worship/vrata; steadier mind and improved spiritual outcomes."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethical psychology / niyama","core_concept":"Desire becomes dharmic when governed by time, restraint, and higher intention; sacred time disciplines the senses.","practical_application":"Householders can mark these tithis and treat them as days of increased japa, pūjā, and brahmacarya-like restraint to conserve attention and calm."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 116.2.0 (jitendriya ideal); Varāha Purāṇa 116.3.0 (dvādaśī discipline)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha instructing Bhū Devī with a lunar calendar motif showing marked tithis; a householder couple in the background choosing restraint and worship.","item_prompts":["Varāha teaching gesture","Bhū Devī listening","moon phases / pañcāṅga leaf","marked tithis (6,8,14,new moon,12)","lamp and japa-mālā indicating redirected energy"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha and Bhū Devī in dialogue; stylized moon-phase band above; subdued couple silhouette in background; emphasis on dharmic calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-embellished Varāha and Bhū Devī; ornate pañcāṅga panel with highlighted tithis; rich textiles; devotional lamp in foreground.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined interior scene; calendar scroll and oil lamp; gentle expressions conveying affectionate instruction (‘priye’).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: moonlit courtyard with a visible lunar disc; Varāha and Bhū Devī as central figures; delicate calendar scroll; quiet domestic restraint theme."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"firm, regulating, serene","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, admonitory yet affectionate"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra pattern of regulating household conduct by lunar calendar observances (tithi-based discipline).
No geographic location is named in this verse.
Practicing restraint on specified lunar days as part of a disciplined religious-ethical regimen.
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