Varaha Purana 174.55 — Adhyaya 174, Shloka 55
The Sanctifying Power of River Confluences: Release from the Preta-State and the Rite of Śravaṇa Dvādaśī with Vāmana Worship
वसिष्ठेन महाभागाः शृणुध्वं कथयाम्यहम् ॥ प्रेतानां मोक्षणं पुण्यं गतिप्रवरदायकम् ॥
vasiṣṭhena mahābhāgāḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ kathayāmy aham || pretānāṃ mokṣaṇaṃ puṇyaṃ gatipravaradāyakam ||
“โอ้ผู้มีบุญวาสนา จงฟังเถิด; เราจักเล่าตามที่วสิษฐะได้สอนไว้: หนทางอันเป็นบุญเพื่อการปลดปล่อยเหล่าเปรต ซึ่งประทานคติอันประเสริฐยิ่ง”
Brāhmaṇa (continued)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Authoritative transmission: the speaker will teach Vasiṣṭha’s meritorious method that releases pretas and grants superior gati.","karmic_consequence":"Following a guru-paramparā-backed rite yields reliable preta-mokṣa and elevated destiny; ignoring authoritative instruction risks ineffective practice."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Preta-mokṣa-vrata (Vasiṣṭha-prokta)","tithi_month":"Not specified in this verse (specified later)","promised_fruit":"Preta-release (mokṣaṇa) and ‘gati-pravara’ (excellent post-mortem course)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"pramāṇa/paramparā","core_concept":"Efficacious dharma is received through trustworthy lineage (Vasiṣṭha → narrator → listeners), not invented ad hoc.","practical_application":"Seek rites from reliable sources; preserve fidelity to transmitted procedure while performing with devotion."}
Subject Matter: ["Transmission of Tradition","Afterlife Narratives","Ritual Instruction"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: instructional setting within tīrtha-māhātmya narrative
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: subsequent verses detailing the calendrical vrata and its fruits
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The brāhmaṇa-teacher raises a hand in instruction, invoking Vasiṣṭha’s authority, while the pretas listen attentively, their forms beginning to brighten with hope.","item_prompts":["teacher’s teaching gesture (vyākhyāna-mudrā)","listening pretas","subtle lightening/softening of preta forms","palm-leaf manuscript labeled ‘Vasiṣṭha’ (symbolic)","calm sacred setting"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Didactic tableau with strong hand-gestures, sage-authority implied by a small Vasiṣṭha icon/portrait in the background, warm tones and stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Gold-leaf halo around the teacher, miniature Vasiṣṭha figure above as lineage marker, pretas below in darker tones transitioning to lighter edges.","mysore_prompt":"Elegant courtly composition: teacher seated, listeners arranged, fine detailing on garments, gentle illumination suggesting ‘puṇya’ and ‘gati’.","pahari_prompt":"Narrative clarity: teacher under a tree, pretas in a semicircle, a small inset of Vasiṣṭha as source, bright yet restrained palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative and calming","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, instructive, confident"}
FAQs
By invoking Vasiṣṭha, it demonstrates the Purāṇic strategy of legitimizing ritual knowledge through revered sage-lineages and intertextual authority.
No location is explicitly named in this verse.
Attend carefully to transmitted instruction and undertake meritorious practices aimed at relief and improvement of one’s post-mortem trajectory.
Ask anything about this verse
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