Varaha Purana 55.14 — Adhyaya 55, Shloka 14
Observance of the Auspicious Dvādaśī Vow and the Sacred Account of the Kubjākāmra Tīrtha
तन्मध्यमं सयुग्मं तु सर्वमाद्यं प्रदापयेत् । स्वशक्त्याभरणं चैव दरिद्रस्य स्वशक्तितः ॥ ५५.१४ ॥
tanmadhyamaṃ sayugmaṃ tu sarvamādyaṃ pradāpayet | svaśaktyābharaṇaṃ caiva daridrasya svaśaktitaḥ || 55.14 ||
まず中ほどの品をすべて、しかも対（つい）として施すべきである。さらに貧しき者には、自らの力に応じて装身具を与えるべきである。
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in excerpt)
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":"Begin by giving away middling-quality items, preferably in pairs; also give ornaments to the poor according to one’s capacity.","karmic_consequence":"Capacity-aligned charity avoids hypocrisy and sustains dharma; neglect of the poor or ostentatious imbalance in giving is portrayed as ethically deficient and merit-reducing."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Dāna-niyama within the rite (pair-giving; capacity-based support of the poor)","tithi_month":"Not specified in the excerpt.","promised_fruit":"Balanced merit: ritual propriety through paired gifts and compassionate puṇya through supporting the needy."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethical discernment in giving","core_concept":"Dāna should be sustainable and non-performative: give appropriately (madhyama), consistently (pairs), and compassionately (to daridra).","practical_application":"Plan giving within means; prioritize steady support over showy depletion; include the economically vulnerable in religious merit-making."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Material Culture","Social Welfare"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: community/ritual distribution space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 55.55.15 (yathā-śakti principle elaborated)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor organizes gifts in pairs of moderate quality, while separately adorning and assisting a poor person with modest ornaments.","item_prompts":["paired bundles of goods","simple ornaments placed on a poor recipient","donor weighing resources","attendants arranging items","contrast of courtly and humble figures"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: two-register composition—ritual gifts arranged in pairs above, compassionate giving to a poor figure below; warm compassionate palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold accents on ornaments, donor central, poor recipient respectfully depicted, paired gifts symmetrically arranged.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: gentle realism, emphasis on humane expressions, orderly paired items, subdued elegance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate charitable moment, bright but soft colors, simple village-like setting, lyrical compassion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Compassionate, advisory","suggested_raga":"Anandabhairavi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"soft, instructive"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic norm in which dāna (charitable giving) is framed as a regulated social ethic, emphasizing proportionality (giving within one’s means) and practical support for economically vulnerable people.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a general prescriptive statement on charitable practice.
To give charitably in an orderly manner and to support the poor with material assistance—here including ornaments—while calibrating the gift to one’s capacity (svaśakti).
Ask anything about this verse
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