Varaha Purana 50.3: Adhyaya 50, Shloka 3
The Procedure for the Dharaṇī Vow
Kārtika Dvādaśī Observance
राजोवाच । भगवन् कथितं पूर्वं त्वया ऋषिवरोत्तम । द्वादश्याश्वयुजे मासि विधानं तत् कृतं मया । इदानीं कार्तिके मासि यत् स्यात् पुण्यं वदस्व मे ॥ ५०.३ ॥
rājovāca | bhagavan kathitaṃ pūrvaṃ tvayā ṛṣivarottama | dvādaśyāśvayuje māsi vidhānaṃ tat kṛtaṃ mayā | idānīṃ kārtike māsi yat syāt puṇyaṃ vadasva me || 50.3 ||
พระราชาตรัสว่า “ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ข้าแต่ฤๅษีผู้ประเสริฐยิ่ง ท่านได้เคยกล่าวพิธีวัตรทวาทศีในเดือนอาศวยุชะแล้ว ข้าพเจ้าได้ปฏิบัติครบถ้วน บัดนี้ขอท่านจงบอกบุญกุศลที่เกิดขึ้นในเดือนการ์ติกะแก่ข้าพเจ้า”
Rājā (the King)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"What specific puṇya/fruit is obtained by observances in the month of Kārtika, after having already performed the Āśvayuja Dvādaśī rite?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Kārtika Dvādaśī (query; vrata to be taught)","tithi_month":"Dvādaśī in Kārtika (requested); prior: Dvādaśī in Āśvayuja (already performed)","promised_fruit":"Not stated here; the king requests the merit/fruit to be explained."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma-jijñāsā (seeking right practice)","core_concept":"Puṇya is time-qualified (māsa/tithi) and accessed through properly taught observance rather than improvisation.","practical_application":"Consult authoritative instruction for month-specific vrata details; treat the ritual calendar as a structured path of merit."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Observance (Vrata)","Ethics","Religious Calendar (Lunar Months)","Merit (Puṇya) discourse"]
Primary Rasa: jijñāsā (inquisitive)
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 50.50.4-7 (Agastya/Varāha’s ensuing instruction on Kārtika Dvādaśī procedure and worship)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king, hands folded, respectfully questions a venerable sage about the merit of Kārtika observances, with a manuscript/ritual calendar motif implied.","item_prompts":["king in royal attire with añjali-mudrā","sage seated on kuśa/āsana","palm-leaf manuscript or ritual calendar","quiet hermitage court setting"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: dignified king in añjali before a seated ṛṣi, warm earthy palette, minimal background, emphasis on expressive eyes and hand gestures.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: king and sage in frontal composition, ornate jewelry for the king, subtle gold-leaf accents on garments and halo-like aureole behind the sage.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined linework, soft shading, serene āśrama interior, manuscript and water-pot (kamaṇḍalu) details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate hillside āśrama scene, delicate faces, the king leaning forward in inquiry, muted greens and browns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquisitive and respectful","suggested_raga":"Yaman (or a calm evening raga)","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"clear, didactic, with a questioning lift at the end"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic pedagogical pattern: a royal interlocutor requests clarification on calendrical observances (vratas) and their ethical/merit outcomes, illustrating how lunar-month ritual systems were framed for elite patrons and broader audiences.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is calendrical (Āśvayuja/Āśvina and Kārtika months) rather than topographical.
The verse foregrounds disciplined continuity in practice—having performed a prescribed rite, the inquirer seeks informed guidance about subsequent observances—emphasizing deliberation, learning from authoritative instruction, and ethical intentionality behind ritual action.
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