Varaha Purana 170.49 — Adhyaya 170, Shloka 49
The Birth of Gokarṇa and the Fruits of Śiva Worship
including the Śukodara Parrot Episode and Hospitality Ethics
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पूज्यो वै गृहमेधिना ।। काले प्राप्तस्त्वकाले वा यथा विष्णुस्तथैव सः
tasmāt sarva-prayatnena pūjyo vai gṛhamedhinā || kāle prāptas tv akāle vā yathā viṣṇus tathaiva saḥ
Oleh itu, seorang ketua rumah tangga hendaklah dengan segala usaha memuliakan dan memuja tetamu—sama ada dia datang pada waktunya atau tidak—kerana dia harus dipandang seperti Viṣṇu sendiri.
Unspecified (defaults to Varāha as instructor in the primary 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":"Explicit Vaiṣṇava identification: atithi is to be regarded ‘as Viṣṇu’; this supports later Kṛṣṇa-bhakti ethos though not naming Kṛṣṇa."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"varnashrama","instruction_summary":"A gṛhastha must honor the guest with full effort, whether timely or untimely, because the guest is to be treated as Viṣṇu.","karmic_consequence":"Observance yields Viṣṇu-prīti and dharma-siddhi; violation implies grave pāpa (supported by prior naraka/merit-transfer warnings)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ethical equation ‘atithi = Viṣṇu’ reflects the Purāṇic move from ritual to lived yajña: service to the embodied other becomes worship of the cosmic Lord (Yajña-Puruṣa).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Atithi-pūjā functions as a domestic yajña: pādya/āsana as upacāras; the house becomes a sacrificial arena where Viṣṇu is present through the guest.","vedantic_connection":"Nārāyaṇa as antaryāmin: honoring the guest honors the indwelling Lord; dharma becomes a means to purify mind toward bhakti/jñāna."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti-ethics","core_concept":"Seeing Viṣṇu in the guest transforms social obligation into worship.","practical_application":"Receive guests without time-based excuses; practice ‘darśana-buddhi’—mentally bow to Viṣṇu before serving."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Dharma (Householder duties)","Hospitality (Atithi)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 170.49-53 (practical hospitality and consequences)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder honors an arriving guest with full reverence; a subtle Viṣṇu-presence is suggested—either as a faint four-armed aura behind the guest or as a śrīvatsa-like glow.","item_prompts":["guest at threshold","householder offering pādya and āsana","subtle Viṣṇu aura/halo","conch-disc motifs faintly in background","lamp and water vessel","gesture of namaskāra"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dignified gṛhastha offering service; guest outlined with a soft Viṣṇu aura; traditional lamp and ritual vessels; saturated devotional palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf halo around guest as Viṣṇu; ornate textiles and arch; conch/disc motifs embossed; emphasis on worshipful hospitality.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: classical interior, refined expressions; Viṣṇu presence indicated by delicate iconographic hints (śaṅkha-cakra patterns).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate domestic scene with lyrical grace; translucent Viṣṇu silhouette behind guest; warm earth tones and clear storytelling."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional-instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyāṇi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"reverent, steady, concluding emphasis on ‘yathā viṣṇus tathैव saḥ’"}
FAQs
It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstric ethic: the householder’s duty to honor guests, framing hospitality as a core social institution in classical South Asian moral thought.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a normative instruction concerning household conduct.
Hospitality is obligatory: a guest should be honored regardless of timing, emphasizing disciplined generosity and social responsibility.
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