Varaha Purana 173.3 — Adhyaya 173, Shloka 3
Account of Gokarṇa’s Śuka-Satra, Temple Consecration, and the Resulting Merit
स्वयं च कृतवांस्तत्र अविघ्नस्य महामखम् ॥ भक्ष्यभोज्ये ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ दानानि नित्यशः
svayaṃ ca kṛtavāṃs tatra avighnasya mahā-makham || bhakṣya-bhojye brāhmaṇebhyo dadau dānāni nityaśaḥ
اور اس نے خود وہاں بے رکاوٹ کامیابی کے لیے ایک عظیم یَجْن کیا؛ اور برہمنوں کو کھانے کی چیزیں اور طعام باقاعدگی سے دان میں دیتا رہا۔
Varāha (narration)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Mathurā region (implied by immediate narrative continuity)","parikrama_context":"Sacrifice and daily dāna in a tīrtha-zone are framed as supportive acts for pilgrims and residents; such acts often accompany tīrtha-parikramā as ancillary merit.","krishna_connection":"Indirect: Mathurā’s sanctity in later Vaiṣṇava tradition makes yajña and brāhmaṇa-sevā there resonate with Kṛṣṇa’s kṣetra."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Perform obstacle-removing rites (avighna-mahāmakha) and give regular food-gifts to brāhmaṇas; nitya-dāna of bhakṣya-bhojya is praised as sustaining dharma.","karmic_consequence":"Regular anna-dāna and yajña remove impediments, increase puṇya and social well-being; neglect of brāhmaṇa-sevā and ritual obligations leads to obstacles and decline of merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Though Varāha’s form is not described here, the verse’s yajña-focus naturally aligns with the Purāṇic idea of Viṣṇu as Yajña and (in Varāha theology) the cosmic boar as embodiment/support of sacrificial order that removes ‘vighna’ (cosmic disorder).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Implicit mapping: yajña as the means of restoring ṛta; ‘avighna’ echoes Varāha’s role in lifting the world from obstruction/chaos; anna-dāna as the ‘havis’ extended into society.","vedantic_connection":"Karma-yoga orientation: ritual and giving, when done without ego and for loka-saṅgraha, purify the mind and align individual action with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-yoga / loka-saṅgraha","core_concept":"Obstacles are overcome by disciplined sacred action: yajña (ordered offering) and dāna (social extension of offering).","practical_application":"Maintain regular giving (especially food), support learned communities, and undertake rites with the intention of removing impediments for self and society."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Culture","Gift-giving (Dāna)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: tīrtha-kṣetra / ritual venue
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: passages praising anna-dāna and brāhmaṇa-bhojana as high merit (general internal parallel)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand sacrificial arena with fire-altar; priests chanting; Gokarṇa as yajamāna offering oblations; nearby, lines of brāhmaṇas receiving daily food-gifts.","item_prompts":["vedi (altar) and agni flames","sruva/sruk ladles","havis offerings","brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana","platters of bhakṣya-bhojya","banners and ritual vessels (kalaśa)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: vibrant yajña scene with stylized fire and priests; Gokarṇa in central profile offering ghee; side panel of anna-dāna to brāhmaṇas.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf fire aura; ornate yajña pavilion; richly decorated vessels; brāhmaṇas receiving food with dignified symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined ritual detailing—altar geometry, vessels, calm faces; warm glow from fire; emphasis on regular charity scene in background.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: open-air yajña with mountains/trees; narrative split—yajña on one side, feeding on the other; bright textiles and clear lines."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, auspicious, ritualistic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"resonant, mantra-like, steady"}
FAQs
It links ritual activity with sustained charity, reflecting a common Purāṇic model where public religious acts and social welfare reinforce each other.
No new location is specified in this verse; it continues the prior setting.
Regular giving—especially food support—appears as an ongoing ethical practice alongside ritual commitments.
Ask anything about this verse
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