Varaha Purana 186.37: Adhyaya 186, Shloka 37
Ritual Procedure for Installing Silver and Gold Images, and the Special Status of Śālagrāma
द्वे चक्रे द्वारकायास्तु नार्च्यं सूर्यद्वयं तथा ॥ गणेशत्रितयं नार्च्यं शक्तित्रितयमेव च ॥
dve cakre dvārakāyās tu nārcyaṃ sūryadvayaṃ tathā || gaṇeśatritayaṃ nārcyaṃ śaktitritayam eva ca ||
ద్వారకా యొక్క రెండు చక్రములు ఆర్చనీయములు కావు; అలాగే సూర్య ద్వయమును కూడా. గణేశ త్రయము ఆర్చనీయము కాదు; శక్తి త్రయమును కూడా అలాగే.
Varāha (implied; response to Pṛthivī’s question continues beyond excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"dialogue","earth_interaction":"Varāha answers Bhūmi by listing niṣedhas (items not to be worshipped), guiding her toward correct ritual discrimination."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"receptive, learning distinctions to avoid ritual fault","key_question":"Which forms/emblems are improper to worship (especially in certain numbers/groupings)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Dvārakā (mentioned)","krishna_connection":"Dvārakā reference evokes Kṛṣṇa’s royal city and later Vaiṣṇava sacred geography, though the verse is a ritual prohibition rather than līlā."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Do not worship certain emblems in specified pluralities: two Dvārakā cakras, a pair of Sūryas, three Gaṇeśas, or three Śaktis.","karmic_consequence":"Avoids worship-doṣa and inauspicious results believed to arise from improper icon-number combinations; following the niṣedha preserves auspiciousness and ritual efficacy."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ritual ethics (niṣedha)","core_concept":"Not all sacred symbols are worshipped in all configurations; dharma includes restraint and correct form.","practical_application":"When maintaining a shrine/collection, avoid accumulating or installing prohibited number-combinations; seek a single, stable focus of worship."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Iconography","Heritage Classification"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka (doṣa-bhaya)
Type: sacred city (kṣetra) referenced via emblem (cakra)
Related Themes: Continues the answer to Bhūmi’s question in 186.39; followed by Śālagrāma number-rules (186.42)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha enumerates prohibited worship groupings; behind him appear symbolic clusters: paired cakras, twin Sūrya icons, three Gaṇeśas, three Śakti figures—shown as ‘do-not’ examples.","item_prompts":["two cakras on stands","two Sūrya icons/disks","three Gaṇeśa mūrtis","three Śakti mūrtis","Varāha gesturing as teacher, Bhūmi listening"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: didactic tableau with grouped icons arranged in panels; Varāha pointing; Bhūmi attentive; strong outlines and flat icon colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf emphasis on cakra and halos; grouped icons in symmetrical arrangement; Varāha central with ornate crown; instructional mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined rendering of different icon types; subtle ‘prohibition’ conveyed by Varāha’s raised hand and Bhūmi’s serious attention.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative strip showing four grouped sets; minimalistic but clear counting (2,2,3,3); gentle landscape framing the teaching."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative, cautionary","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, precise, enumerative"}
FAQs
It provides a catalog-style restriction (nārchya) that can inform studies of sectarian boundaries, iconographic norms, and manuscript variation in ritual lists.
Dvārakā is referenced; it is traditionally identified with the coastal site in present-day Gujarat, significant in Purāṇic and epic geography.
It frames worship as rule-governed practice, where certain forms/emblems are treated as contextually excluded, emphasizing disciplined adherence to stated constraints.
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