Varaha Purana 175.8: Adhyaya 175, Shloka 8
The Sanctity of the Kṛṣṇagaṅgā Pilgrimage-Ford and the Account of the Brahmin Vasu’s Daughter
Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha–Māhātmya / Vrata–Kathā (Pilgrimage and vow narrative)
तत्र स्थितो द्वादशाब्दव्रती सङ्गविवर्जितः॥ पक्षाहारी च फलभुग्दर्शे वै पौर्णमासिके॥
tatra sthito dvādaśābdavratī saṅgavivarjitaḥ || pakṣāhārī ca phalabhug darśe vai paurṇamāsike
tatra sthito dvAdashAbdavratI saMgavivarjitaH|| pakShAhArI cha phalabhugdarshe vai paurNamAsike
तत्र स्थितो द्वादशाब्दव्रती सङ्गविवर्जितः। पक्षाहारी च फलभुक् दर्शे वै पौर्णमासिके॥
Sandhi Notes
- फलभुग्दर्शे = फलभुक् + दर्शे
- द्वादशाब्दव्रती = द्वादश + अब्द + व्रती
- सङ्गविवर्जितः = सङ्ग + विवर्जितः
- पक्षाहारी = पक्ष + आहारी
Varāha to Pṛthivī
Curious
Freedom from attachment (saṅga-vivarjana) and measured consumption align the practitioner with cosmic rhythms (new/full moon), converting time into sādhana.
Adopt scalable austerities: reduce social distraction, regulate diet, and keep a consistent monthly spiritual schedule (amāvāsyā/pūrṇimā practices).
A long-term ascetic regimen is described: twelve-year vrata with solitude (saṅga-vivarjana), fortnightly single meal, fruit-diet, and observance of darśa-paurṇamāsa rites.
Such restraint and ritual regularity are implied to yield purification, heightened tapas, and spiritual attainment; indulgent association and dietary laxity weaken vrata and its fruit.
Dvādaśābda-vrata (twelve-year vow) with pakṣāhāra and darśa-paurṇamāsa observance
Continuous for twelve years; ritual focus on each new-moon (darśa/amāvāsyā) and full-moon (paurṇamāsa/pūrṇimā)
Tapas-siddhi: deep purification, steadiness of mind, and eligibility for higher spiritual insight/merit through sustained austerity.
Varāha Purāṇa: nearby passages on tīrtha residence, vows, and ritual observances (adhyāya 175 sequence)
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic ideal of long-term vrata practice, presenting disciplined fasting and calendrical rites (new- and full-moon observances) as markers of ascetic credibility within narrative literature.
No explicit location is named in this verse; it situates the subject 'there' (tatra), with the broader passage later indicating Himalayan/Badarī contexts.
The verse foregrounds restraint and non-attachment (saṅgavivarjitaḥ) alongside regulated consumption and ritual regularity as a model of self-governance.
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