Varaha Purana 170.18 — Adhyaya 170, Shloka 18
The Birth of Gokarṇa and the Fruits of Śiva Worship
including the Śukodara Parrot Episode and Hospitality Ethics
गोसहस्रं तदा दत्त्वा ससुवर्णं सवस्त्रकम् ॥ बहुशः सर्ववर्णेभ्यः पुत्रजन्ममहोत्सवे ॥
gosahasraṃ tadā dattvā sasuvarṇaṃ savastrakam || bahuśaḥ sarvavarṇebhyaḥ putrajanmamahotsave ||
पुत्रजन्ममहोत्सवे तदा गोसहस्रं ससुवर्णं सवस्त्रकं दत्त्वा, सर्ववर्णेभ्यो बहुशो दानानि विततार॥
Varāha (default framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"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":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"On the occasion of a son’s birth-festival, perform mahā-dāna: give cows with gold and garments, and distribute gifts widely across social groups.","karmic_consequence":"Such celebratory dāna increases puṇya, fame, and lineage-stability; failure to share auspiciousness is implied to reduce merit and social harmony."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"social ethics","core_concept":"Auspicious personal events are to be universalized through giving; dharma binds private joy to public welfare.","practical_application":"Mark family milestones with charity—especially go-dāna and support to diverse recipients—so prosperity circulates rather than concentrates."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: hāsa
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: community gathering
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: saṃskāra sequence continuing in 170.21.0
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bustling birth-celebration where a patron gifts a thousand cows with gold and cloth, distributing offerings to people of all varṇas.","item_prompts":["procession of cows","gold ornaments/coins","stacks of folded cloth","crowd of varied recipients","festive canopy","drummers/conch optional"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: rhythmic line of cows, celebrants in traditional attire, warm festive palette, clear dāna gestures, stylized crowd without clutter.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: opulent festival tableau with gold-leaf on ornaments and gift piles, richly decorated canopy, symmetrical arrangement of cows and recipients.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed cattle forms, refined textiles, balanced crowd scene, soft festive lighting, emphasis on dignified charity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative crowd in a courtyard with trees, lively but delicate figures, bright yet soft colors, focus on the donor and the cow-gifts."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory, expansive, communal","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"bright, narrative, projecting"}
FAQs
It evidences celebratory gifting practices and the ideal of broad distribution, which can be studied as part of Purāṇic social ethics and patronage norms.
No location is named in this verse; it focuses on the household celebration and associated dāna.
The verse promotes expansive generosity at communal milestones, portraying social inclusion (sarvavarṇebhyaḥ) as a valued norm in the narrative.
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