Varaha Purana 44.16 — Adhyaya 44, Shloka 16
The Vaiśākha Bright-Twelfth Observance: Worship of Hari as Jāmadagnya and Its Fruits
स हि राजा विधानॆन पुत्रकामो विशेषतः । उपोष्य लब्धवान् पुत्रं नलं परमधार्मिकम् । योऽद्यापि कीर्त्यते लोके पुण्यश्लोको नरोत्तमः ॥ ४४.१६ ॥
sa hi rājā vidhānena putrakāmo viśeṣataḥ | upoṣya labdhavān putraṃ nalaṃ paramadhārmikam | yo ’dyāpi kīrtyate loke puṇyaśloko narottamaḥ || 44.16 ||
ആ രാജാവ് പ്രത്യേകമായി പുത്രകാമനായി വിധിപൂർവം ഉപവസിച്ച് പരമധാർമ്മികനായ നലൻ എന്ന പുത്രനെ നേടി; അവൻ ഇന്നും ലോകത്തിൽ പുണ്യശ്ലോക നരോത്തമനായി കീർത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.
Varāha (default narrative voice per dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","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":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"A putra-kāma king should follow the prescribed vrata/fasting according to vidhi; righteous progeny and lasting fame follow dharmic observance.","karmic_consequence":"Observance yields progeny of dharmic disposition and enduring kīrti; disregard of vidhi risks continued childlessness and loss of merit/fame."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Vaiśākha-śukla-dvādaśī-vrata (as applied by the king)","tithi_month":"Vaiśākha, śukla-pakṣa, Dvādaśī","promised_fruit":"Birth of a supremely righteous son; additionally, worldly renown (puṇya-ślokatā) through dharmic lineage."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of kingship (rāja-dharma via lineage)","core_concept":"Right practice shapes not only outcomes (a son) but the quality (dhārmikatā) of what is obtained; dharma begets dharmic legacy.","practical_application":"Pursue personal aims through dharmic means so that results (children, wealth, status) become supports for virtue and public good."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship","Vows and Austerities"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 44.44.15 (the Dvādaśī is taught); Varāha Purāṇa 44.44.17 (expanded fruits)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Narration of the king’s successful fast and the auspicious birth of Nala, portrayed as radiant and dharmic, with the sense of lasting fame.","item_prompts":["king performing upavāsa (simple attire, restraint)","ritual lamp and Viṣṇu/Varāha-associated worship setting (generic)","newborn child with aura/radiance","bards or sages praising (kīrti motif)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sequence-like panel—fasting king, then birth scene; warm reds/ochres; child with subtle halo; dignified śānta-vīra blend.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: birth scene with gold aura around the child; king and queen in regal attire; ornate frame; gold-leaf emphasis on kīrti and auspiciousness.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined palace/āśrama interior; gentle lighting; child’s radiance rendered softly; dignified expressions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical domestic scene; delicate colors; attendants and sages; emphasis on auspicious joy without excess."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"auspicious fulfillment and praise","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"uplifting, steady, celebratory but restrained"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative motif: royal adherence to prescribed rites (vidhi) and ascetic practices (upoṣaṇa) as culturally authoritative means to frame legitimacy, lineage, and moral reputation.
No specific geographic toponym is stated in this verse; it focuses on a king’s observance and the fame of his son Nala.
The verse emphasizes disciplined adherence to prescribed conduct (vidhāna) and restraint (fasting) as a pathway to socially recognized virtue and enduring reputation.
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.