Varaha Purana 173.3 — Adhyaya 173, Shloka 3
Account of Gokarṇa’s Śuka-Satra, Temple Consecration, and the Resulting Merit
स्वयं च कृतवांस्तत्र अविघ्नस्य महामखम् ॥ भक्ष्यभोज्ये ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ दानानि नित्यशः
svayaṃ ca kṛtavāṃs tatra avighnasya mahā-makham || bhakṣya-bhojye brāhmaṇebhyo dadau dānāni nityaśaḥ
അവൻ സ്വയം അവിടെ അവിഘ്നാർത്ഥമായി ഒരു മഹാമഖം നടത്തി; ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു നിത്യമായി ഭക്ഷ്യഭോജ്യ ദാനങ്ങളും നൽകി।
Varāha (narration)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Mathurā region (implied by immediate narrative continuity)","parikrama_context":"Sacrifice and daily dāna in a tīrtha-zone are framed as supportive acts for pilgrims and residents; such acts often accompany tīrtha-parikramā as ancillary merit.","krishna_connection":"Indirect: Mathurā’s sanctity in later Vaiṣṇava tradition makes yajña and brāhmaṇa-sevā there resonate with Kṛṣṇa’s kṣetra."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Perform obstacle-removing rites (avighna-mahāmakha) and give regular food-gifts to brāhmaṇas; nitya-dāna of bhakṣya-bhojya is praised as sustaining dharma.","karmic_consequence":"Regular anna-dāna and yajña remove impediments, increase puṇya and social well-being; neglect of brāhmaṇa-sevā and ritual obligations leads to obstacles and decline of merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Though Varāha’s form is not described here, the verse’s yajña-focus naturally aligns with the Purāṇic idea of Viṣṇu as Yajña and (in Varāha theology) the cosmic boar as embodiment/support of sacrificial order that removes ‘vighna’ (cosmic disorder).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit mapping: yajña as the means of restoring ṛta; ‘avighna’ echoes Varāha’s role in lifting the world from obstruction/chaos; anna-dāna as the ‘havis’ extended into society.","vedantic_connection":"Karma-yoga orientation: ritual and giving, when done without ego and for loka-saṅgraha, purify the mind and align individual action with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-yoga / loka-saṅgraha","core_concept":"Obstacles are overcome by disciplined sacred action: yajña (ordered offering) and dāna (social extension of offering).","practical_application":"Maintain regular giving (especially food), support learned communities, and undertake rites with the intention of removing impediments for self and society."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Culture","Gift-giving (Dāna)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: tīrtha-kṣetra / ritual venue
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: passages praising anna-dāna and brāhmaṇa-bhojana as high merit (general internal parallel)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand sacrificial arena with fire-altar; priests chanting; Gokarṇa as yajamāna offering oblations; nearby, lines of brāhmaṇas receiving daily food-gifts.","item_prompts":["vedi (altar) and agni flames","sruva/sruk ladles","havis offerings","brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana","platters of bhakṣya-bhojya","banners and ritual vessels (kalaśa)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: vibrant yajña scene with stylized fire and priests; Gokarṇa in central profile offering ghee; side panel of anna-dāna to brāhmaṇas.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf fire aura; ornate yajña pavilion; richly decorated vessels; brāhmaṇas receiving food with dignified symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined ritual detailing—altar geometry, vessels, calm faces; warm glow from fire; emphasis on regular charity scene in background.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: open-air yajña with mountains/trees; narrative split—yajña on one side, feeding on the other; bright textiles and clear lines."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, auspicious, ritualistic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"resonant, mantra-like, steady"}
FAQs
It links ritual activity with sustained charity, reflecting a common Purāṇic model where public religious acts and social welfare reinforce each other.
No new location is specified in this verse; it continues the prior setting.
Regular giving—especially food support—appears as an ongoing ethical practice alongside ritual commitments.
Ask anything about this verse
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.