Varaha Purana 162.65: Adhyaya 162, Shloka 65
The Efficacy and Merit of Cakra-tīrtha
दुःखेन पीडितः क्षीणो मर्त्तुकामो द्विजोत्तमः ॥ गङ्गातीरात्समुत्तिष्ठन्दिशः सर्वा विलोकयन् ॥
duḥkhena pīḍitaḥ kṣīṇo marttukāmo dvijottamaḥ || gaṅgā-tīrāt samuttiṣṭhan diśaḥ sarvā vilokayan ||
مُثقَلًا بالحزن، واهنًا هزيلًا، راغبًا في الموت، نهضَ ذلكُ الدِّوِجا الجليلُ من ضفةِ الغانغا، وهو ينظرُ إلى الجهاتِ كلِّها.
Unspecified (default dialogue frame: Varāha as narrator/instructor)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Gaṅgā-tīra (bank of the Ganges)"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Despair leading to death-wish is portrayed as a dharmic crisis; one should seek purifying counsel and remedial action rather than succumb to self-destruction.","karmic_consequence":"Turning toward counsel and expiation can restore dharma and vitality; choosing self-harm deepens suffering and obstructs righteous duties."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Suffering and orientation toward dharma","core_concept":"Duḥkha can disintegrate the self, yet the sacred landscape (tīrtha) invites reorientation toward meaning and remedy.","practical_application":"In grief, relocate to supportive sacred/community spaces, seek guidance, and avoid irreversible acts made under mental collapse."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: sacred riverbank
Related Themes: Varaha Purana 162.162.1-2 (petition and inquiry preceding this depiction)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An emaciated brāhmaṇa rises from the Ganges bank, scanning all directions with hollow-eyed despair, as the river flows behind him.","item_prompts":["Gaṅgā river with gentle current","sandy/stone riverbank","thin brāhmaṇa figure, bowed shoulders","searching gaze to the horizons","minimal belongings (water pot)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic profile of the gaunt brāhmaṇa against stylized river waves, deep somber palette, expressive eyes conveying karuṇa.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: riverbank scene with decorative water patterns, central figure elongated and sorrowful, gold highlights on river motifs and border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: naturalistic river light, subtle facial modeling for fatigue, quiet background to emphasize isolation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical river landscape, pale sky, solitary figure looking around, delicate brushwork emphasizing melancholy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Lamenting, contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"low, heavy, empathetic"}
FAQs
The Gaṅgā-tīra setting is a recurrent cultural marker in Purāṇic literature, associating moral crisis, purification themes, and pilgrimage landscapes.
The Gaṅgā (Ganges) is explicitly named; ‘tīra’ indicates the riverbank/ford area rather than a single city.
The verse depicts the extremity of despair; its ethical dimension is cautionary, situating suffering within a broader narrative that typically redirects toward counsel, restraint, or pilgrimage.
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