Varaha Purana 162.40: Adhyaya 162, Shloka 40
The Efficacy and Merit of Cakra-tīrtha
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणः संहितव्रतः ॥ कल्पग्रामं परित्यज्य मथुरां याहि सुव्रत ॥
tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā brāhmaṇaḥ saṁhitavrataḥ || kalpagrāmaṁ parityajya mathurāṁ yāhi suvrata ||
فلما سمع قوله، قال البراهمي الثابت على شعائره: «اترك كَلبَغراما واذهب إلى ماثورا، يا صاحبَ السيرة الفاضلة.»
Brāhmaṇa (advisor figure within the narrative; exact identity not specified in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Mathurā (city)","parikrama_context":"Implied entry into Mathurā-mahātmya trajectory; travel to the maṇḍala often serves as the first step toward darśana and later parikramā.","krishna_connection":"Foreshadowed indirectly: Mathurā as the future līlā-kṣetra of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; the city’s sanctity anticipates Vaiṣṇava theophany."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"For one seeking purification/restoration, a qualified brāhmaṇa may prescribe tīrtha-gamana—here, leaving Kalpagrāma and going to Mathurā as a remedial dharmic act.","karmic_consequence":"Obedience to the prescribed tīrtha-path leads toward removal of stigma and accrual of puṇya; refusal prolongs impurity and exclusion."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"tīrtha as moral medicine","core_concept":"Sacred geography functions as a transformative field where inner impurity is addressed through outer movement and disciplined intent.","practical_application":"When ethically compromised, undertake guided pilgrimage with observance (saṃhita-vrata), using place, practice, and humility to reset conduct."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Ethics","Pilgrimage"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: village-to-tīrtha route
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 162.46–47 (arrival in Mathurā; satra of King Kuśika)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined Brahmin advisor points the way, instructing the traveler to leave Kalpagrāma and proceed to Mathurā.","item_prompts":["advisor-brāhmaṇa with staff/kamaṇḍalu","directional pointing gesture","traveler with bundle","road leading to city silhouette","signifier of ‘Kalpagrāma’ left behind (village huts/fields)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: the brāhmaṇa with kamaṇḍalu and staff, decisive gesture; stylized landscape band showing village to city transition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: advisor figure with gold accents; a gilded path motif leading toward Mathurā’s gateway; rich reds/greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant counselor figure, subtle landscape depth; emphasis on calm authority and the traveler’s attentive posture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: winding hill-road composition (even if North Indian plains implied), narrative vignette with village on one side and Mathurā’s ramparts on the other."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"directive, auspicious","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, instructive, reassuring"}
FAQs
It links ethical remediation to movement through sacred geography, a characteristic Purāṇic strategy where tīrthas function as cultural-ritual institutions.
Mathurā is explicitly named (widely identified with modern Mathura in Uttar Pradesh). Kalpagrāma is also named but requires source-comparative study for precise modern identification.
The verse presents relocation/pilgrimage as a prescribed response within an expiatory framework.
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