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 ||
ಮಧ್ಯಮ ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟದ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಮೊದಲು ಜೋಡಿಗಳಾಗಿ ದಾನ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ದರಿದ್ರನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕಂತೆ ಆಭರಣಗಳನ್ನೂ ನೀಡಬೇಕು।
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).
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