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
Aux sixième et huitième tithi, au jour d’amāvāsyā (nouvelle lune) et au quatorzième jour dans les deux moitiés (croissante et décroissante), on ne doit pas s’unir charnellement ; de même au douzième jour aussi, ô bien-aimée.
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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