Varaha Purana 170.76 — Adhyaya 170, Shloka 76
The Birth of Gokarṇa and the Fruits of Śiva Worship
including the Śukodara Parrot Episode and Hospitality Ethics
प्रियातिथिं च संप्राप्तं मातः पूज्यतमं शुचिम् ॥ कुरु पूजां यथार्हं च गोकर्णस्य वरातिथेः ॥
priyātithiṃ ca saṃprāptaṃ mātaḥ pūjyatamaṃ śucim | kuru pūjāṃ yathārhaṃ ca gokarṇasya varātitheḥ ||
मातः, प्रियातिथिः संप्राप्तः पूज्यतमः शुचिश्च; गोकर्णस्य वरातिथेः यथार्हं पूजां कुरु।
Śuka
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","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":"None","instruction_summary":"Atithi-satkāra: a pure and venerable guest must be worshipped/received according to worth (yathārha-pūjā).","karmic_consequence":"Proper hospitality yields puṇya, fame, and auspiciousness; neglect of a worthy guest leads to pāpa and loss of merit (atithi-doṣa)."}
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":"dharma (gṛhastha-ethics)","core_concept":"Atithi is a living embodiment of dharma; honoring the worthy guest is a form of worship.","practical_application":"Receive guests with cleanliness, respectful speech, seat/water/food, and honor proportionate to their virtue and status."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Hospitality","Social Dharma"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: dharmya (ethical gravity)
Type: home/āśrama-like residence
Related Themes: Varaha Purana 170.85-170.87 (preparations, failure, and corrective action)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śuka addresses his mother with urgency and reverence, pointing toward the arriving guest Gokarṇa; the mother prepares to perform proper hospitality rites.","item_prompts":["Śuka speaking to mother (mātā)","arrival of a dignified guest (Gokarṇa) at doorway","water vessel (arghya/pādya)","clean seat, offerings","gesture of instruction (raised hand)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Śuka in saffron/green tones instructing, mother in modest attire holding a water pot, guest at threshold with calm aura.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-highlighted guest with halo, ornate vessels for arghya, symmetrical composition of host-mother and Śuka.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined domestic interior, subtle expressions of respect, detailed ritual vessels and textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate household scene, bright flat colors, clear storytelling—guest at door, Śuka guiding the mother."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic-reverent","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"firm yet respectful"}
FAQs
It attests to the normative cultural ethic of atithi-satkara (honoring guests), a central theme across Dharma and Purāṇic narrative traditions.
No location is named in this verse (Mathurā is mentioned earlier in the sequence).
Honor a guest appropriately and respectfully; hospitality is framed as a formal duty expressed through pūjā.
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