Varaha Purana 61.2: Adhyaya 61, Shloka 2
The Observance for the Fulfilment of Desires: Worship of Keśava in the Form of Guha
Kumāra
षष्ठ्यां फलाशनो यस्तु वर्षमेकं व्रतं चरेत् । पौषमाससिते पक्षे चतुर्थ्यां कृतभोजनः ॥ ६१.२ ॥
ṣaṣṭhyāṃ phalāśano yas tu varṣam ekaṃ vrataṃ caret | pauṣamāsa-site pakṣe caturthyāṃ kṛtabhojanaḥ || 61.2 ||
ಷಷ್ಠಿಯಂದು ಫಲಾಹಾರದಿಂದ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷ ಈ ವ್ರತವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸುವವನು, ಮತ್ತು ಪೌಷಮಾಸದ ಶುಕ್ಲಪಕ್ಷದ ಚತುರ್ಥಿಯಂದು ಭೋಜನ ಮಾಡುವವನು—ಇದೇ ವಿಧಿ.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Kāma-vrata regimen: on each Ṣaṣṭhī subsist on fruits; maintain the vow for one year; in Pauṣa kṛṣṇa-pakṣa, eat on Caturthī as specified.","karmic_consequence":"Following the calendric discipline sustains vrata-śakti leading to iṣṭa-siddhi; breaking the schedule disrupts continuity and diminishes fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Kāma-vrata","tithi_month":"Ṣaṣṭhī (monthly) for one year; special observance in Pauṣa māsa, kṛṣṇa-pakṣa, Caturthī (as stated)","promised_fruit":"Desire-fulfillment as announced in 61.61.1 (implied continuation)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"discipline of time and appetite","core_concept":"Mastery of desire begins with regulated consumption and time-bound observance; kāma is refined through niyama.","practical_application":"Adopt periodic dietary restraint (phalāhāra) on fixed tithis; keep a vrata calendar; treat exceptions (special month/fortnight rules) as integral, not optional."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Practice","Calendrics"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: niyama
Type: Calendrical-ritual framework
Related Themes: 61.61.1 (promise of kāma-siddhi); 61.61.3 (pāraṇa method on Ṣaṣṭhī)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner marking lunar days: on Ṣaṣṭhī eating only fruits, observing a year-long vow; a winter Pauṣa night indicated for the special Caturthī meal.","item_prompts":["moon phases or lunar calendar scroll","plate of fruits (phalāhāra)","simple ascetic meal setting","winter cues (shawl, muted sky)","counting beads or tally marks for the year"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized moon-cycle motif above, devotee with fruit offering, flat decorative winter palette, emphasis on ritual regularity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: devotee with fruit tray, gold-highlighted moon disc and calendar motifs, ornate framing to suggest sacred time.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: calm domestic shrine corner, devotee with fruits, subtle moonlight, refined detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical night scene with crescent moon, devotee seated with fruits, gentle winter landscape, narrative clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"procedural, steady","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"precise, instructional"}
FAQs
It reflects Purāṇic-era integration of calendrical timekeeping (tithi, pakṣa, māsa) with ethical self-discipline through regulated diet and vow-practice, a common feature of medieval Sanskrit ritual literature.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is temporal (the month of Pauṣa and lunar fortnights) rather than spatial.
The verse presents disciplined restraint and consistency in observance—regulated eating on specified lunar days—as a structured ethical practice rather than a purely devotional assertion.
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