Varaha Purana 207.41 — Adhyaya 207, Shloka 41
Section on the ‘Person’ who Entices Beings within the Cycle of Rebirth
गन्धमाल्यनिवृत्त्या तु मूर्तिर्भवति पुष्कला ॥ अन्नदानेन च नरः स्मृतिं मेधां च विन्दति ॥
gandhamālyanivṛttyā tu mūrtir bhavati puṣkalā | annadānena ca naraḥ smṛtiṃ medhāṃ ca vindati ||
Durch den Verzicht auf Düfte und Blumengirlanden wird die leibliche Gestalt voll und kräftig. Und durch die Gabe von Speise erlangt der Mensch Gedächtnis und Einsicht.
Varāha (default, dialogue framework)
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":"curious; oriented to practical dharma benefiting body and mind","key_question":"Which small restraints and which forms of charity directly strengthen the body and sharpen memory/intellect?"}
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":"Refrain from perfumes/garlands as a restraint; practice anna-dāna to gain smṛti (memory) and medhā (intelligence).","karmic_consequence":"Restraint yields a ‘puṣkalā mūrti’ (robust, well-formed body); food-giving yields cognitive excellence; miserliness and indulgence obstruct these gains."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Gandha-mālya-tyāga (abstaining from perfumes/garlands) with Anna-dāna","tithi_month":"Not specified; suitable as vrata-niyama especially on fasting/holy days","promised_fruit":"Puṣkalā mūrti (bodily robustness), smṛti and medhā (memory and intelligence)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"sattva cultivation through dāna and restraint","core_concept":"Reducing vanity (gandha-mālya) stabilizes the body-mind; nourishing others through anna-dāna refines one’s own inner instrument (antaḥkaraṇa) toward clarity (smṛti/medhā).","practical_application":"Adopt periodic simplicity (no fragrances/garlands) to curb display; prioritize regular food charity—feeding guests, students, poor, and pilgrims."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ascetic restraint","Charity (food-giving)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: hita/upadeśa
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 207.41 (śrāddha-dāna); Varāha Purāṇa 207.44 (restraint fruits)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha teaches that giving up perfumes/garlands strengthens the body, and that anna-dāna grants memory and intelligence.","item_prompts":["Varāha teaching gesture","discarded garland and perfume flask set aside","donor offering bowls of rice/food","recipients (students, elders, poor)","symbols of learning (palm-leaf manuscript, stylus)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha central; to one side, garland/perfume placed away; to the other, anna-dāna scene with banana-leaf meal; manuscript motif for medhā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf halo; rich food offerings on ornate plates; subdued depiction of renounced garlands; learning symbols highlighted with gold accents.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant anna-dāna distribution; fine detailing of vessels and textiles; calm scholarly cues (grantha, lekhanī).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: courtyard feeding scene; simple renunciation of adornments; gentle, narrative emphasis on charity and learning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"uplifting, instructive","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"bright, clear, encouraging"}
FAQs
The verse is part of a merit-catalogue that pairs renunciation of luxury items with embodied outcomes, and it elevates anna-dāna as a socially central virtue tied to cognitive excellence.
No location is referenced.
Reduce luxury/ornamentation and prioritize food-giving, framed as strengthening both body and mind.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.