Varaha Purana 121.22 — Adhyaya 121, Shloka 22
Avoidance of Rebirth in the Womb: Ethical Conduct and the Prevention of Degraded Rebirth
मनसा ब्राह्मणीं चैव यो गच्छेन्न कदाचन ॥ विप्राय कपिलां दद्याद्वृद्धवं सान्त्वेन पालयेत् ॥
manasā brāhmaṇīṁ caiva yo gacchen na kadācana || viprāya kapilāṁ dadyād vṛddhavaṁ sāntvena pālayet
Und wer sich niemals einer Brahmanenfrau nähert, nicht einmal im Gedanken—der soll einem gelehrten Priester eine fahl-rotbraune Kuh (kapilā) schenken und die Alten mit sanftem Zuspruch und Fürsorge unterstützen.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha instructs Bhū-devī on mental chastity, dāna to a learned brāhmaṇa, and compassionate elder-care."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"concerned with social order and purity norms","key_question":"How should a householder guard purity of mind and support society through gifts and care for the vulnerable?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Maintain mental restraint regarding another’s wife (here, brāhmaṇa woman); give a tawny cow to a learned priest; protect/support the aged with gentle care.","karmic_consequence":"Restraint prevents grave demerit and social disorder; dāna and elder-care accrue puṇya, leading to auspicious destiny and purification."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethical discipline (manas) + compassionate action","core_concept":"Dharma begins in thought; generosity and care for elders convert resources into merit and soften ego.","practical_application":"Practice mental vigilance and fidelity; allocate wealth for meaningful gifts to worthy recipients; establish regular support and kind speech for the elderly."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Social duty","Gift economy (dāna)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: gṛhastha-āśrama ethical domain
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 121.24 (ahiṃsā and purity); Varāha Purāṇa 121.26 (family fairness; pacifying brāhmaṇa)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A restrained householder turns away from temptation even in thought (shown symbolically), offers a kapilā cow to a venerable learned brāhmaṇa, and gently supports an elderly person with comforting touch and words.","item_prompts":["kapilā (tawny) cow with garland","learned brāhmaṇa receiving dāna","elder seated/leaning, being supported","gesture of self-restraint (hand to heart/averted gaze)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: narrative triptych feel—restraint, go-dāna, elder-care; ornate but clear gestures; warm earth tones for kapilā cow.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-highlighted cow ornaments and priestly attire; donor in devotional posture; elder-care scene with auspicious framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined realism; expressive faces; emphasis on gentle consolation; soft lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: pastoral setting for go-dāna; delicate elder-care vignette; lyrical composition and pastel hues."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"serious, compassionate, reformative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave on restraint clause, warm on ‘sāntvena pālayet’"}
FAQs
It combines inner discipline (mental restraint) with outward social duties (dāna and elder care), a pattern typical of Purāṇic moral instruction.
No geographic location is named in this verse.
Maintain strict mental restraint and express dharma through gifting and compassionate support of elders.
Ask anything about this verse
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