Varaha Purana 48.15: Adhyaya 48, Shloka 15
The Kalki Dvādaśī Observance and the Episode of King Viśāla
राजोवाच । यथा यज्ञेश्वरं देवं यज्ञैर्विविधदक्षिणैः । यष्टुं समर्थता मे स्यात् तथा मे ददतां वरम् ॥ ४८.१५ ॥
rājovāca | yathā yajñeśvaraṃ devaṃ yajñair vividha-dakṣiṇaiḥ | yaṣṭuṃ samarthatā me syāt tathā me dadatāṃ varam || 48.15 ||
രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—“വിവിധ ദക്ഷിണകളോടുകൂടിയ യാഗങ്ങളാൽ യജ്ഞേശ്വരനായ ദേവനെ യജിക്കാൻ എനിക്ക് ശേഷി ലഭിക്കുമാറ് വരം നൽകണമേ.”
Rājā (the King)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"devotee"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Sacrifice (yajña) should be accompanied by appropriate dakṣiṇā; the king seeks capacity (samarthatā) to perform yajñas with varied gifts.","karmic_consequence":"Proper yajña with dakṣiṇā yields merit, prosperity, and social order; neglecting dakṣiṇā diminishes ritual fruit and harms dharmic economy (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ‘Lord of sacrifice’ (Yajñeśvara) frames Viṣṇu as the inner principle of ritual; capability and dakṣiṇā signify offering the self and resources back into cosmic order.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit (not anatomical): Viṣṇu as Yajña—recipient and regulator of offerings; dakṣiṇā as the ritual ‘completion’ that stabilizes the act.","vedantic_connection":"Karma-yoga reading: ritual action becomes purifying when offered to Nārāyaṇa/Yajña-puruṣa; capacity sought is śakti granted by īśvara, not egoic power."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-yoga / rāja-dharma","core_concept":"True kingship seeks the power to sustain dharma through yajña and dāna, recognizing Viṣṇu as Yajñeśvara.","practical_application":"Use wealth and authority to support public rites, learning, and charity; treat giving (dakṣiṇā) as integral to any ‘work’ offered to God."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Studies","Ethics","Kingship (Rāja-dharma)","Gift Economy (Dakṣiṇā)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Related Themes: 48.48.14 (boon invitation)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king petitions for the strength and resources to perform grand sacrifices with abundant dakṣiṇās, addressing the Lord of sacrifice with reverence.","item_prompts":["king speaking (mukha-vyāhāra)","altar/fire (yajña-kuṇḍa) suggested in background","gifts: cows, gold, cloth bundles","priests/ritual implements hinted"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king near a stylized yajña-fire, offerings and gift bundles arranged; strong outlines, ritual reds/oranges; deity implied by haloed presence.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: opulent sacrificial scene with gold-leaf flames and ornaments; dakṣiṇā items rendered as jeweled objects; king richly adorned.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant yajña setting with fine detailing of implements (sruk, sruva), subdued glow of fire; king’s earnest expression.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: compact fire-altar scene, attendants holding gifts; lyrical landscape; emphasis on devotional speech and humility."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"earnest, devotional, duty-bound","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm yet reverent, stressing ‘यज्ञेश्वरं’ and ‘दक्षिणैः’"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic model of kingship in which royal legitimacy is linked to the capacity to sponsor yajñas and to support ritual specialists through dakṣiṇā, illustrating the socio-economic dimension of classical ritual culture.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse fragment; it is focused on ritual capability and patronage rather than sacred topography.
The verse foregrounds responsible patronage: the performance of public ritual is paired with appropriate giving (dakṣiṇā), implying that ritual action is ethically incomplete without fair support to participants and officiants.
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