Varaha Purana 141.3: Adhyaya 141, Shloka 3
The Sacred Greatness of Badarikāśrama
Badrinath Region
दुर्लभं तन्मम क्षेत्रं हिमकूटशिलातले ॥ यस्तत्प्राप्नोति हि क्षेत्रं कृतकृत्यो भवेन नरः ॥
durlabhaṁ tanmama kṣetraṁ himakūṭaśilātale | yastatprāpnoti hi kṣetraṁ kṛtakṛtyo bhavennaraḥ ||
ذلك الحقلُ المقدّسُ لي عسيرُ المنال، على السفوح الصخرية لهيمكوطا. حقًّا، من يبلغ ذلك الموضعَ المقدّس من الناس يصير مُنجِزًا لما ينبغي إنجازه.
Varāha (contextual continuation)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha identifies Badarī as ‘mama kṣetram’ and declares its fruit; didactic address to Bhū continues."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"reverent, seeking certainty about fruit of pilgrimage","key_question":"What is the status of this kṣetra of yours on Himakūṭa, and what does a person become by reaching it?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"‘Kṣetra’ as the embodied field where divine presence makes human life ‘kṛtakṛtya’ (purpose-fulfilled), suggesting sacred geography mirrors the inner kṣetra of realization.","vedantic_connection":"Echoes kṛtakṛtyatā as completion of puruṣārthas; pilgrimage becomes an external support for inner niṣṭhā and liberation-oriented life."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"puruṣārtha-completion","core_concept":"True fulfillment is defined not by accumulation but by alignment with the divine center; sacred encounter completes duty and meaning.","practical_application":"Frame life-goals around dharma and God-realization; treat pilgrimage as recommitment to a completed, value-aligned life."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: mountain-kṣetra / tīrtha
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: identification of Badarī as ‘mama kṣetram’
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha indicates a steep, rocky Himakūṭa slope where a sanctified precinct is marked; a pilgrim arrives and is shown with a serene, fulfilled expression.","item_prompts":["rocky mountain face (śilātala)","kṣetra boundary markers/flags","pilgrim with staff and water-pot","Varāha gesturing to the site","subtle radiance around the kṣetra"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized rock formations, Varāha-teacher with commanding hand gesture, pilgrim in añjali, rich earth tones against white snow accents.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: embossed rocky slope, gold-highlighted kṣetra markers, central Varāha with ornate jewelry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined landscape, emphasis on calm fulfillment (kṛtakṛtya) on pilgrim’s face.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: dramatic mountain diagonals, small pilgrim figure reaching a flagged sacred spot, Varāha as protective presence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, declarative","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"authoritative, concluding on ‘kṛtakṛtyo’ with weight"}
FAQs
It links a specific Himalayan toponym (Himakūṭa) with a sanctified ‘kṣetra,’ illustrating how Purāṇas sacralize terrain and encode pilgrimage routes.
Himakūṭa (a snow-peak/mountain designation in Himalayan sacred geography), associated with Badarikāśrama’s rocky slopes.
The verse frames reaching and honoring a heritage site as a culmination of disciplined life-aims (kṛtakṛtyatā), emphasizing purposeful living.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in 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.