Varaha Purana 172.43 — Adhyaya 172, Shloka 43
The Harm of Destroying a Grove and the Merit of Tree-Planting as Pūrta-Dharma
गोकर्ण उवाच ॥ वृद्धौ च मातापितरौ साधु भार्याचतुष्टयम् ॥ मथुरायां ममैवैतदुद्यानं देवतागृहम् ॥
gokarṇa uvāca || vṛddhau ca mātāpitarau sādhu bhāryācatuṣṭayam || mathurāyāṃ mamaivaitad udyānaṃ devatāgṛham ||
Gokarṇa berkata: “Ayah dan ibuku telah lanjut usia, dan aku memiliki empat istri yang terhormat. Di Mathurā, taman ini dan rumah-dewa (kuil) ini adalah milikku.”
Gokarṇa
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Mathurā (udhyāna—garden; devatāgṛha—shrine/temple)","parikrama_context":"Implicit: the garden-temple complex functions as a local tīrtha node that pilgrims may visit within Mathurā circuits.","krishna_connection":"Foreshadowing by locating sacred property in Mathurā, the future Kṛṣṇa-līlā landscape; temple/garden evokes later Vaiṣṇava sacralization of Mathurā."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
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 of gṛhastha and place-based piety","core_concept":"Householder life (parents, spouses, property) can be integrated with devotion through maintaining sacred spaces (devatāgṛha) and gardens as offerings to the divine.","practical_application":"Support elders, uphold marital/social responsibilities, and sustain local shrines—turning wealth/land into dharmic infrastructure."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred geography","Household and social setting","Temple and landholding (garden)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: gṛhastha-bhāva
Type: Sacred city (tīrtha-kṣetra) with private garden and a devatāgṛha
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 172.49 (movement toward Mathurā)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gokarṇa introduces his family situation—elderly parents, four wives—and points toward/mentions his garden and a nearby shrine in Mathurā.","item_prompts":["Mathurā cityscape cues (ghāṭ steps, river hint)","garden with flowering trees","small shrine/temple (devatāgṛha)","elderly parents seated","four wives grouped respectfully"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: frontal figures; Gokarṇa gesturing toward a stylized garden and small shrine; rich greens and reds; dignified household grouping.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Gokarṇa central with gold-embellished shrine silhouette; ornamental garden motifs; family figures with jewelry highlights.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined architecture of a small devatāgṛha; soft garden detailing; balanced composition with family on either side.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: airy Mathurā garden with delicate blossoms; small temple pavilion; intimate domestic grouping with narrative clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"matter-of-fact self-introduction","suggested_raga":"Śrī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, respectful"}
FAQs
It links narrative identity to place and property (garden and shrine), reflecting how Purāṇic texts map social life onto sacred landscapes and institutions.
Mathurā—widely identified with modern Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, a major early historic and Purāṇic pilgrimage and cultural center.
Implicitly, it emphasizes responsibility toward family elders and stewardship of inherited or maintained sacred and cultivated spaces.
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