Varaha Purana 176.86 — Adhyaya 176, Shloka 86
The Māhātmya of Kṛṣṇagaṅgodbhava, Kāliñjara, and the Five Sacred Baths: The Tale of Pāñcāla and Tilottamā
अस्ति किञ्चिन्महत्पापं तव प्रच्छन्नसम्भवम् ॥ अस्यां तीर्थप्रभावेण स्नानाद्गच्छति दूरतः ॥
asti kiñcinmahatpāpaṁ tava pracchannasambhavam || asyāṁ tīrthaprabhāveṇa snānādgacchati dūrataḥ ||
إنّ لك ذنبًا عظيمًا نشأ من سببٍ مستور. وبقوّة هذا المَغتسل المقدّس (تيرثا)، يزول بعيدًا بالاغتسال.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"battle_fury","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Instructional reassurance to Bhū-devī (or listener) about tīrtha-snāna removing hidden sin."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, concerned about karmic taint and its removal","key_question":"How can a concealed/unknown great sin be removed, and what is the efficacy of bathing at a tīrtha?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"For concealed grave sin, bathing at a powerful tīrtha functions as expiation and drives the sin away.","karmic_consequence":"Observance leads to purification and relief from pāpa; neglect leaves the latent sin operative and obstructive."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-and-purification","core_concept":"Even ‘prācchanna’ (concealed) karmic faults can be attenuated through sacred means when joined with recognition and remedial action.","practical_application":"Undertake tīrtha-snāna with repentance and resolve; treat purification as both inner (saṅkalpa) and outer (ritual) discipline."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: tīrtha/river-ford
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: tīrtha-māhātmya and prāyaścitta passages in the surrounding adhyāya (176)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha (as divine teacher) indicates a sacred bathing place whose waters drive away a hidden sin.","item_prompts":["river-ford with steps","pilgrim bathing","aura of sanctity over water","Varāha as speaker/teacher (anthropomorphic or boar-headed)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Temple-mural palette; Varāha as dignified instructor beside a luminous river-tīrtha; pilgrims in stylized poses; ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Central Varāha figure with gold-leaf halo; shimmering river rendered with gold highlights; small devotee bathing vignette below.","mysore_prompt":"Refined linework; calm riverbank; Varāha in teaching mudrā; subdued devotional mood.","pahari_prompt":"Himalayan miniature feel; delicate river steps; narrative clarity with a small group bathing; soft landscape gradients."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"purificatory, reassuring","suggested_raga":"Madhyamāvati","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"clear, didactic, compassionate"}
FAQs
It illustrates a Purāṇic theory of moral causality (hidden sources of wrongdoing) and the remedial role attributed to tīrthas in cultural practice.
A tīrtha is referenced but not newly named in this verse; it relies on the chapter’s immediate context (e.g., Kṛṣṇagaṅgā-udbhava).
Acknowledging concealed moral causes and seeking purification through disciplined practice is presented as a path toward ethical restoration.
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