Varaha Purana 172.1 — Adhyaya 172, Shloka 1
The Harm of Destroying a Grove and the Merit of Tree-Planting as Pūrta-Dharma
श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ गोकर्णस्तु तथा चक्रे तस्मिन्नायतने शुभे ॥ प्रथमेऽह्नि यथा कृत्यमेवमेव त्रयोदश ॥
śrīvarāha uvāca || gokarṇas tu tathā cakre tasminn āyatane śubhe || prathame ’hni yathā kṛtyam evam eva trayodaśa ||
Śrī Varāha bersabda: Gokarṇa kemudian melaksanakan tata laku yang ditetapkan di kediaman yang suci itu; pada hari pertama ia melakukan kewajiban sebagaimana mestinya, demikian pula (ia meneruskannya) selama tiga belas hari.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha speaks as instructor within the Varāha→Pṛthivī dialogic frame, narrating Gokarṇa’s observance for Earth’s understanding."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"What is the correct method and duration for performing the prescribed observances (kṛtya) in an auspicious abode?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Prescribed rites should be performed day-by-day as enjoined, beginning on the first day and continued consistently for thirteen days in a proper sacred setting.","karmic_consequence":"Proper completion yields purification and success of the intended rite; interruption/irregularity diminishes efficacy and merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Trayodaśāha (thirteen-day observance) in an auspicious āyatana (as narrated for Gokarṇa)","tithi_month":"Not specified (structured by day-count: 13 days)","promised_fruit":"Purification and fulfillment of the intended religious purpose (implied siddhi of the kṛtya), especially connected to family/ancestral welfare in the surrounding narrative."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha as ‘teacher of dharma’ frames time (ahni) as a sacrificial sequence; disciplined repetition over thirteen days mirrors ordered cosmic maintenance (ṛta) upheld by Viṣṇu.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit yajña-temporality: each day as an ‘āhuti’ in a multi-day rite; the ‘āyatana śubha’ as yajña-kṣetra where order is installed.","vedantic_connection":"Niṣkāma, rule-bound action (karma-yoga style) purifies the mind; steadiness (niyama) is a means to inner clarity and devotion to Īśvara."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma-vidhi","core_concept":"Consistency in prescribed practice—doing ‘what is to be done’ each day—constitutes dharma and produces purification.","practical_application":"Choose a suitable sacred/quiet place; follow a clear daily regimen without breaks for the full intended duration."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Practice","Narrative Literature"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tīrtha/temple-hermitage setting (unspecified)
Related Themes: 171.171.5 (Gokarṇa’s motive: parents); 171.171.6 (ritual honoring/offerings)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Lord Varāha in a teaching posture narrating to Bhū-devī, while in a vignette Gokarṇa performs daily rites in an auspicious sanctuary over thirteen days.","item_prompts":["Varāha as speaker (seated/standing, teaching gesture)","Bhū-devī listening","secondary vignette: Gokarṇa performing daily ritual","calendar/day-count motif (13 lamps or 13 marks)","altar with offerings"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha and Bhū-devī in frontal dialogue; inset panels showing repeated daily rite; rich ornamentation, clear mudrā of instruction.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha with gold halo and embossed ornaments; Bhū-devī beside; 13 small lamps in border to signify duration; inset of Gokarṇa at altar.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant Varāha teaching scene with soft gradients; detailed altar objects; subtle 13-day symbolism via lamp row.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate satsang-like scene; Varāha instructing; small narrative strip of Gokarṇa’s daily worship repeated across frames."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, steady","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"authoritative yet gentle, with measured emphasis on ‘prathame’hni’ and ‘trayodaśa’"}
FAQs
It reflects Purāṇic narrative framing where ritual observance over a fixed sequence of days is used to structure moral and social instruction within a story-world.
The verse mentions an “āyatana” (auspicious abode/seat) but does not provide a specific toponym in this fragment; identification requires surrounding verses or manuscript context.
Consistency in performing one’s prescribed duties (kṛtya) is presented as a guiding principle within the narrative.
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.