Varaha Purana 186.39 — Adhyaya 186, Shloka 39
Ritual Procedure for Installing Silver and Gold Images, and the Special Status of Śālagrāma
गृहेऽग्निदग्धा भग्ना वा नैव पूज्या वसुन्धरे ॥ आसां तु पूजनाद्गेहे उद्वेगं प्राप्नुयाद्गृही
gṛhe ’gnidagdhā bhagnā vā naiva pūjyā vasundhare || āsāṁ tu pūjanād gehe udvegaṁ prāpnuyād gṛhī
If, within a household, (the stones) have been burned by fire or are broken, they should not be worshipped, O Vasundharā. By worshipping such (damaged stones) in the home, the householder would incur distress.
Varāha (addressing Pṛthivī/Vasundharā)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Instructional address to Vasundharā about domestic worship-eligibility of stones."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"attentive/curious; receiving ritual guidance for householders","key_question":"Which household stones/objects are fit or unfit for worship, and what are the consequences of improper worship?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Do not worship in the home stones/objects that are fire-burnt or broken; such worship brings domestic agitation.","karmic_consequence":"Improper worship of damaged stones leads to udvega (distress/inauspicious unrest) for the householder; avoidance preserves household auspiciousness."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ritual-ethics","core_concept":"External order (proper objects) supports inner order (prasāda/peace); negligence in sacred handling breeds anxiety and inauspiciousness.","practical_application":"Inspect worship-stones/icons; replace or relocate damaged items; maintain a clean, stable home-altar to avoid continual mental disturbance."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Household Ethics","Material Culture"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: domestic sacred space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 186.44-47 (Śālagrāma exception and merits)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha instructs Bhūdevī about a householder’s altar where cracked/burnt stones are set aside, emphasizing proper domestic worship.","item_prompts":["Varāha as teacher","Bhūdevī listening","small home altar","burnt stone","broken stone pieces","householder with worried expression","lamp and water-pot"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: seated Varāha teaching Bhūdevī near a stylized domestic shrine; warm earthy palette; clear gestures of prohibition; ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: Varāha and Bhūdevī with gold-leaf haloing; miniature altar with lamp; damaged stones shown to the side; rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework; calm didactic posture; domestic shrine details (kalasha, deepa); subtle depiction of cracked/burnt stones.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate indoor scene; soft hills-color palette; Varāha instructing; householder’s anxious face; small altar objects rendered finely."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, advisory, slightly admonitory"}
FAQs
It documents a concern for the condition of worship-objects in domestic settings, illustrating how Purāṇic texts integrate ritual practice with household well-being.
No specific location is identified; the setting is the general gṛha (household).
Avoid ritual use of compromised objects when they are associated (in the text’s logic) with disturbance to household stability.
Ask anything about this verse
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