Varaha Purana 21.81: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 81
The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari–Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share
एवमुक्त्वा तदा दक्षस्तां कन्यां ब्रह्मसन्निधौ । ददौ रुद्राय महते गौरीं परमशोभनाम् ॥ २१.८२ ॥
evam uktvā tadā dakṣas tāṃ kanyāṃ brahmasannidhau | dadau rudrāya mahate gaurīṃ paramaśobhanām || 21.82 ||
एवमुक्त्वा तदा दक्षः ब्रह्मसन्निधौ तां कन्यां परमशोभनां गौरीं महते रुद्राय ददौ।
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Kanyādāna is performed in Brahmā’s presence, framing marriage as a sanctioned, ritually witnessed alliance.","karmic_consequence":"Properly witnessed and ritually grounded marriage sustains social-cosmic order; neglect of rite/witness undermines dharmic legitimacy (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma (saṃskāra/ritual legitimacy)","core_concept":"Saṃskāras gain authority through proper procedure and recognized witnessing, aligning personal bonds with cosmic order.","practical_application":"Treat life-transitions (marriage, vows, initiations) as dharmic acts: perform them with due rite, consent, and accountable witnesses."}
Subject Matter: ["Genealogy","Mythic-Historical Narrative","Marriage Alliance","Deity Iconography"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: śṛṅgāra
Type: divine sabhā
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 21.21.83-85 (continuation of marriage acceptance and allotment of abode)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Dakṣa, before Brahmā’s august presence, formally offers the radiant Gaurī to the great Rudra in a solemn marriage-gift moment.","item_prompts":["Brahmā seated as witness","Dakṣa performing kanyādāna gesture","Gaurī with luminous aura and bridal ornaments","Rudra receiving with composed dignity","ritual vessels (kalaśa), fire-altar suggestion","celestial assembly backdrop"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: flat yet ornate divine court; Brahmā as central witness; Dakṣa offering Gaurī to Rudra; rich reds/ochres, stylized jewelry, calm śānta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold-leaf haloed Brahmā and Gaurī; Dakṣa in regal attire; Rudra with subtle vibhūti marks; heavy ornamentation, embossed jewelry, ceremonial symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework, soft shading; courtly sabhā with restrained grandeur; emphasis on Gaurī’s radiance and ritual propriety.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate court scene with lyrical elegance; pastel palette; expressive faces showing solemn consent; minimal architecture with divine aura."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, ceremonial","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"clear, dignified, narrative"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic narrative motif in which a formal marriage-gift (kanyādāna) is performed publicly, here explicitly “in the presence of Brahmā,” reflecting how Purāṇas frame social rites through mythic authority figures.
No geographic toponym appears in this verse; the setting is indicated only as brahmasannidhau (“in Brahmā’s presence”), a narrative/ritual context rather than a place-name.
The verse primarily conveys a cultural-ritual principle: the conferral of a marriage alliance is portrayed as a formally witnessed act, emphasizing public legitimacy and accountability in social rites.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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.