Varaha Purana 155.66 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 66
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
वृषोत्सर्गं नरः कुर्वंस्तारयेत्सकुलोद्भवान् ॥ श्राद्धं यः कुरुते सुभ्रु कार्तिक्यां प्रयतो नरः ॥
vṛṣotsargaṁ naraḥ kurvaṁs tārayet sakulodbhavān || śrāddhaṁ yaḥ kurute subhru kārtikyāṁ prayato naraḥ ||
वृषोत्सर्गं नरः कुर्वन् सकुलोद्भवान् तारयेत्। यः कार्तिक्यां प्रयतो नरः श्राद्धं करोति, हे सुभ्रु॥
Varāha (default instructor voice, addressing Pṛthivī as subhru/vasundharā)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha instructs Earth (addressed as subhru/vasundharā) on lineage-liberating rites: vṛṣotsarga and Kārttikā śrāddha."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"serious, dharma-oriented attentiveness","key_question":"Which rites effectively uplift ancestors and lineage, and what is the proper month/discipline for śrāddha?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Akrūra-tīrtha (implied locus for Kārttikā rites in the surrounding passage)","parikrama_context":"Positions the tīrtha as a ritual-performance station during Kārttikā yātrā/parikramā (snāna + śrāddha + gifts).","krishna_connection":"Indirect: Vaiṣṇava tīrtha setting frames ancestral rites within Krishna-centered Braj pilgrimage culture."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"Perform vṛṣotsarga to uplift one’s lineage; perform śrāddha in Kārttikā with restraint (prayata) for strong ancestral benefit.","karmic_consequence":"Delivers (tārayet) the entire kula; śrāddha done with discipline yields ancestral satisfaction and uplift, while negligence implies diminished pitṛ-prīti (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Kārttikā śrāddha-niyama (within Kārttika observance)","tithi_month":"Kārttikā month (general); specific tithi not stated here","promised_fruit":"Kula-tāraṇa (deliverance of lineage) and pitṛ-uplift through properly performed śrāddha."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma of intergenerational obligation","core_concept":"One’s spiritual life includes responsibility to ancestors; disciplined ritual action can transmit uplift across generations.","practical_application":"In Kārttikā, combine tīrtha-snāna with śrāddha and sanctioned rites like vṛṣotsarga, maintaining purity, restraint, and correct intention."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: tīrtha zone suitable for śrāddha and dāna
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155.75 (explicit pitṛ-tāraṇa result)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a sacred riverbank in Kārttikā, a householder performs vṛṣotsarga and then śrāddha with focused restraint, while Varāha teaches Earth.","item_prompts":["river ghāṭa","ritual setup for śrāddha (piṇḍa, darbha grass, water vessel)","vṛṣa (bull) being ritually released/marked","Brahmin recipients","Varāha and Bhu-devī in teaching posture"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: ritual tableau with clear iconography (piṇḍa, darbha); bull release scene; Varāha-Bhu-devī framed with ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold accents on ritual vessels and halos; bull rendered iconically; rich reds/greens; symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed ritual implements, calm domestic-sacred mood; subtle lamp-light; refined faces and textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate riverside ritual scene; soft landscape; small bull figure; gentle narrative sequencing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, dharma-instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"grave, careful, prescriptive"}
FAQs
It preserves references to domestic/ancestral rites (śrāddha) and vṛṣotsarga within a tīrtha framework, offering evidence for how Purāṇic texts integrated ritual, kinship, and pilgrimage.
No specific toponym occurs in this verse; it continues the chapter’s tīrtha context without naming the site here.
It emphasizes disciplined ritual conduct and intergenerational responsibility, framing actions as benefiting a broader lineage.
Ask anything about this verse
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