Varaha Purana 142.14 — Adhyaya 142, Shloka 14
The Greatness of Esoteric Practice: Menstrual Impurity, Mental Equanimity, and Seasonal Conjugal Ethics
मम योगेषु संन्यासमेकचित्तो दृढव्रतः ॥ एवं कुर्वन्महाभागे स्त्रियो वा पुन्नपुंसकम् ॥
mama yogeṣu saṁnyāsam ekacitto dṛḍha-vrataḥ | evaṁ kurvan mahābhāge striyo vā punnapuṁsakam ||
माझ्या योगमार्गांत संन्यास—एकचित्त व दृढव्रत होऊन—असे केल्यास, हे महाभागे, स्त्रिया असोत वा पुन्नपुंसक (नपुंसक‑स्वभाव) …
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Addresses Bhū-devī affectionately (‘mahābhāge’) while universalizing eligibility for his yogic renunciation practices"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"affirmed/encouraged as listener; concern for all beings being addressed"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Single-minded, firm-vowed renunciation within the Lord’s yogic disciplines is efficacious for all—women and punnapuṃsaka as well.","karmic_consequence":"Observance yields purification and progress toward mokṣa irrespective of social/sex category; wavering mind and broken vow perpetuate bondage."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Dṛḍha-vrata (steadfast vow) within saṃnyāsa-yoga (generic, not calendrical)","tithi_month":"None (non-tithi-based discipline)","promised_fruit":"Citta-ekāgratā and eligibility for higher realization; movement toward ‘paramā gati’ as the discourse continues"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha’s ‘lifting’ power is mirrored in the practitioner’s ‘lifting’ of scattered mind into ekacittatā; the vow (vrata) is the tusk-like firmness that uproots saṃsāric mire.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Vrata as yajña-niyama; ekacitta as dhyāna-agni; renunciation as offering of possessiveness into the inner fire.","vedantic_connection":"Adhikāra is grounded in antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi, not bodily markers; aligns with Vedāntic emphasis on knowledge/discipline over external identity."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"yoga / ethics of practice","core_concept":"Ekacittatā (one-pointed mind) and dṛḍha-vrata (firm commitment) are decisive, not gender/sex classification.","practical_application":"Choose a sādhana (japa, meditation, service) and keep it unwaveringly; measure progress by steadiness and reduced reactivity, not by external status."}
Subject Matter: ["Yoga","Ethics","Soteriology (mokṣa discourse)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: didactic frame
Related Themes: Builds on 142.14 (indriya-nigraha) and leads into 142.16 (jñāna-saṃnyāsa)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha emphasizes steadfast, single-minded renunciation as a path open to women and non-binary/napuṃsaka persons; Bhū-devī receives the inclusive teaching.","item_prompts":["Varāha teaching gesture","Bhū-devī with widened attentive eyes","symbolic ‘single flame’ representing ekacitta","a vow-knot/rosary representing dṛḍha-vrata"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha and Bhū-devī in calm dialogue; one central lamp-flame motif; rich ornamentation; emphasis on inclusive teaching through composition (multiple devotees in background).","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold haloed Varāha; central flame and rosary; Bhū-devī with lotus; background devotees of varied appearance to suggest universality.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: restrained elegance; focus on facial expression and hand mudrā; minimal symbolic props (lamp, mālā).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: gentle narrative scene with a small group of seekers; soft landscape; one-pointed flame motif near the teacher."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"assuring, steady","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"encouraging, composed"}
FAQs
It is a notable Purāṇic passage that continues the discussion of liberation practices while explicitly naming social/sex categories found in Sanskrit discourse.
No geographic identification appears in this verse.
Cultivate steadfast, single-pointed discipline in renunciation as part of yogic practice.
Ask anything about this verse
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