Varaha Purana 137.49: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 49
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
स्नात्वा सङ्कल्पयामास त्रिरात्रं नियमाविन्वितौ ॥ उपोष्य तौ त्रिरात्रं तु विधिना नियमाविन्वितौ
snātvā saṅkalpayāmāsa trirātraṁ niyamānvitau || upoṣya tau trirātraṁ tu vidhinā niyamānvitau
स्नात्वा तौ त्रिरात्रव्रताय सङ्कल्पं चक्रतुः, नियमसंयुतौ। ततः विधिना त्रिरात्रं उपोष्य, नियमैः संयतौ बभूवतुः।
Varāha (default, dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, learning procedural details","key_question":"How should the three-night vow be undertaken—what restraints, fasting, and method constitute proper niyama?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"After bathing, one should take saṅkalpa and observe a trirātra with niyamas, fasting for three nights according to vidhi.","karmic_consequence":"Observing niyama and vidhi yields the vow’s promised fruit; laxity in restraint weakens merit and the intended spiritual result."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Trirātra-vrata (three-night fast with restraints)","tithi_month":"Begun per prior verse’s timing; continued for three nights (trirātram)","promised_fruit":"Implied in the narrative arc: purification, strengthened devotion, and post-mortem passage to Śvetadvīpa."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"sādhana (practice)","core_concept":"Intent (saṅkalpa) must be embodied through restraint (niyama) and endurance (upavāsa).","practical_application":"Before fasting, purify with snāna, articulate a clear saṅkalpa, and keep consistent restraints for the full vowed duration."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual discipline (Niyama)","Fasting (Upavāsa)","Vow practice (Vrata)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: ritual setting
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 137.17–18 (procedural chain of the vrata)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A couple or practitioners after bathing, formally taking a vow and beginning a three-night fast with disciplined restraint.","item_prompts":["bathing scene at river/pond","hands in saṅkalpa gesture","simple fasting setting","austerity symbols (kusha grass seat, water pot)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized bath at sacred water, figures with calm faces, minimal props, emphasis on ritual gestures and purity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: richly framed couple taking saṅkalpa, gold accents on vessels and halos, ornate but serene composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined depiction of linen garments, subtle jewelry, gentle devotional posture, detailed ritual items.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate domestic-ashram scene, clear lines, soft hills/trees, emphasis on simplicity of fasting life."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"austere, focused","suggested_raga":"Dhanyāsi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, restrained, instructive"}
FAQs
It records a structured vow sequence—bath, intention (saṅkalpa), fasting, and procedural conformity—mirroring broader South Asian vrata conventions.
No location is named in this verse; it focuses on observance protocol.
Self-restraint and adherence to an agreed procedure are presented as the ethical core of successful observance.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.