Varaha Purana 165.7 — Adhyaya 165, Shloka 7
The Glory of Mathurā: The Account of Piṇḍa-Offering at the Catuḥsāmudrika Well
न तस्य जायते बुद्धिर्दानं दातुं कदाचन ॥ तस्यैवं वसतस्तत्र प्रतिष्ठाने पुरोत्तमे ॥
na tasya jāyate buddhir dānaṃ dātuṃ kadācana || tasyaivaṃ vasatas tatra pratiṣṭhāne purottame ||
Jamais ne naquit en lui l’intention d’offrir le dāna, l’aumône. Tandis qu’il demeurait là de cette manière, à Pratiṣṭhāna, la cité excellente,
Varāha (narrating)
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":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Even while settled in a prosperous city, one should cultivate buddhi toward dāna; refusal to give indicates entrenched adharma.","karmic_consequence":"Stagnation of merit (puṇya-kṣaya by omission) and continued pāpa-conditioning; loss of auspicious social and spiritual standing."}
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":"Dharma in gṛhastha life","core_concept":"Prosperity and residence in ‘excellent’ places do not purify by themselves; inner intention (buddhi) toward generosity is the real marker of dharma.","practical_application":"Treat stable income and urban comfort as resources for regulated giving (atithi-sevā, anna-dāna, support of dharma works)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Geography"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: Ancient city/urban center
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 165.8 (wealthy yet non-giving); Varāha Purāṇa 165.6 (sin for belly)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wealthy resident in the ‘excellent city’ of Pratiṣṭhāna, surrounded by abundance, yet turning away from supplicants and opportunities to give.","item_prompts":["city gate/urban skyline","merchant house with granary/coins","supplicant or guest at the door","gesture of refusal/turned face"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: detailed city-arch motif; warm abundance colors; the giver’s door closed; supplicant rendered with dignified restraint.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate mansion with gold accents; the contrast of glittering wealth and the empty outstretched hand of a supplicant.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined interior scene; subtle facial expression of reluctance; emphasis on narrative clarity over symbolism.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: courtyard scene with attendants and storage jars; a small figure of a guest at threshold; gentle but pointed moral contrast."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Didactic, narrative-continuing","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, instructive, steady"}
FAQs
It underscores dāna as a central ethical practice and frames the narrative within an urban setting, indicating the Purāṇic interest in moral life within cities as well as pilgrimage spaces.
Pratiṣṭhāna is explicitly reiterated and praised as an excellent city (purottama).
The absence of even the intention to give is portrayed as a critical ethical deficiency, not merely the absence of an act.
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