Varaha Purana 174.76 — Adhyaya 174, Shloka 76
The Sanctifying Power of River Confluences: Release from the Preta-State and the Rite of Śravaṇa Dvādaśī with Vāmana Worship
द्विजः प्रतिग्रहीता कपिलाङ्गेषु तिष्ठन्ति भुवनानि चतुर्दश ॥ दत्त्वा कामदुघां लोकाः भवन्ति सफलाः नृणाम् ॥
dvijaḥ pratigrahītā kapilāṅgeṣu tiṣṭhanti bhuvanāni caturdaśa || dattvā kāmadughāṁ lokā bhavanti saphalā nṛṇām ||
Dwijah, penerima sedekah, menyatakan bahawa empat belas alam bersemayam pada anggota lembu Kapilā yang berwarna keperangan. Apabila seseorang menghadiahkan lembu Kāmadhenū yang menunaikan hajat, maka alam dan tujuan hidup manusia menjadi berhasil dan berbuah.
Varāha (default, not explicitly marked in this verse-fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"None explicit; general Vaiṣṇava dāna cosmology."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Gau-dāna (gift of a kapilā cow) is extolled: her limbs contain the fourteen worlds; gifting her makes human aims/destinies fruitful.","karmic_consequence":"Performing such dāna yields loka-sāphalya (fruitful attainments) and broad merit; withholding/violating cow-protection ethics is implied to obstruct prosperity and spiritual progress."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The cow is presented as a microcosm (piṇḍa-brahmāṇḍa): the cosmos housed in a sacred living being; dāna becomes a cosmological act aligning the donor with universal order.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Not Varāha-specific; yajña imagery: cow as yajñic support (milk/ghee) and as cosmic container; gifting her is gifting the very means of sacrifice and sustenance.","vedantic_connection":"Microcosm-macrocosm correspondence; dharmic action (dāna) as a means to harmonize individual life with cosmic structure."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"cosmic ethics of generosity","core_concept":"A sacred being can embody the cosmos; giving with reverence expands one’s life-fruit beyond the narrow self.","practical_application":"Support cow-protection and ethical pastoral care; practice dāna that sustains others’ livelihood and ritual life."}
Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Ritual Economy"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Dāna setting (cow-gift ceremony; village/āśrama implied)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 174 (dāna and ritual economy sequence)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A kapilā (tawny) cow stands as a cosmic being, with subtle indications of fourteen worlds mapped onto her limbs, while a donor performs gau-dāna, making human destinies ‘fruitful’.","item_prompts":["tawny cow with gentle expression","fourteen-loka symbols (tiers/auras) superimposed on limbs","donor offering water/grass and gifting gesture","recipient brāhmaṇa/priest","garlands and ritual thread","small cosmic diagram/mandala behind cow"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: majestic kapilā cow with layered loka-aura bands; donor and recipient in ritual posture; saturated sacred colors and stylized cosmic motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: cow centered with gold-leaf cosmic halos; ornate jewelry/garlands; donor scene at base; emphasis on auspiciousness and prosperity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: naturalistic cow with subtle cosmic overlay; refined ceremonial setting; calm, dignified figures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: pastoral miniature with cow in foreground; delicate stacked-loka cloud bands; serene hills; intimate dāna moment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic and auspicious","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"sonorous, proclamatory"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic idiom where gift-giving (dāna) is linked to cosmological symbolism, illustrating how ritual economy and social ethics were framed through mythic cosmography.
No specific location is named in this verse; it uses cosmological imagery (the fourteen worlds) rather than a tīrtha-site.
It promotes dāna—specifically gifting a cow—as an ethical act believed to yield ‘fruitful’ outcomes for human life and posthumous destiny.
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