Varaha Purana 55.16 — Adhyaya 55, Shloka 16
Observance of the Auspicious Dvādaśī Vow and the Sacred Account of the Kubjākāmra Tīrtha
गां युग्माभरणात् सर्वं सहिरण्यं च कारयेत् । एवं कृते तथा कृष्णशुक्लद्वादश्यमेव च ॥ ५५.१६ ॥
gāṁ yugmābharaṇāt sarvaṁ sahiraṇyaṁ ca kārayet | evaṁ kṛte tathā kṛṣṇaśukladvādaśyām eva ca || 55.16 ||
Man soll die Gabe einer Kuh zusammen mit paarigen Schmuckstücken anordnen und alles auch mit Gold bereiten lassen. Ist dies getan, so ist (der Ritus) genau am zwölften Mondtag, Dvādaśī, zu vollziehen, sei es in der dunklen oder in der hellen Monatshälfte.
Varāha (default, instructor voice in Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"The timing on dvādaśī and the Vaiṣṇava framing can be read as devotional alignment with Kṛṣṇa/Hari, though not Mathurā-specific here."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Perform go-dāna with paired ornaments and gold, and execute the rite specifically on dvādaśī (either kṛṣṇa- or śukla-pakṣa).","karmic_consequence":"Properly timed and properly endowed dāna yields amplified puṇya and Vaiṣṇava merit; neglect of timing/fitness diminishes the intended fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Dvādaśī-go-dāna–aṅga (part of the described vrata)","tithi_month":"Dvādaśī on either kṛṣṇa-pakṣa or śukla-pakṣa (month not specified in the verse).","promised_fruit":"Merit accruing from correctly performed Vaiṣṇava dāna; the text implies extraordinary, later-to-be-described results."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-yoga / dāna-dharma","core_concept":"Right action is strengthened by saṅkalpa, proper time (kāla), and fitting substance (dravya).","practical_application":"Plan charitable giving with appropriate materials and observe calendrical discipline (tithi) rather than impulsive or careless donation."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Practice","Cultural Heritage"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: śraddhā-bhakti
Type: None
Related Themes: 55.55.17-20 (continuation: earth-image dāna, feeding, mantra, and vrata-phala)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual setting where a donor prepares a cow-gift adorned with paired ornaments, with gold arranged as dakṣiṇā, while a priest marks the dvādaśī timing.","item_prompts":["cow (go)","paired ornaments (yugmābharaṇa)","gold (hiraṇya)","ritual tray","calendar/tithi marker","brāhmaṇa recipient"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: temple-courtyard dāna scene, warm earthy palette, stylized cow with ornate jewelry, priests in white, clear dvādaśī symbolism.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central cow and gold vessels with heavy gold-leaf highlights, donor in royal attire, brāhmaṇa receiving dakṣiṇā, embossed ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined linework, soft shading, detailed jewelry on the cow, calm ritual atmosphere with dvādaśī indicated by moon iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate courtyard charity scene, delicate faces, bright textiles, cow with paired ornaments, minimal but evocative moon-phase cue."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"injunctive and auspicious","suggested_raga":"Madhyamāvati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, instructional, steady"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic dāna-vidhi register: the codification of gift practices (notably cow-gifting) with specified materials (ornaments, gold) and calendrical timing (dvādaśī), illustrating how ritual economy and ethics were textualized in medieval Sanskrit traditions.
No specific geographic toponym appears in this verse; it is primarily procedural (materials and timing) rather than site-specific sacred geography.
The verse prescribes orderly preparation and proper timing for a culturally valued act of giving—framing generosity as a disciplined practice guided by material completeness and calendrical appropriateness.
Ask anything about this verse
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