Varaha Purana 176.78 — Adhyaya 176, Shloka 78
The Māhātmya of Kṛṣṇagaṅgodbhava, Kāliñjara, and the Five Sacred Baths: The Tale of Pāñcāla and Tilottamā
त्रिरात्रं कृच्छ्रपाराक चान्द्रायणमथापि वा ॥ तव पादाङ्किते वापि स्थित्वा मोक्षमवाप्नुयाम्
trirātraṃ kṛcchrapārāka cāndrāyaṇam athāpi vā || tava pādāṅkite vāpi sthitvā mokṣam avāpnuyām
আমি কি ত্রিরাত্র-ব্রত, অথবা কঠোর কৃচ্ছ্র-পারাক, কিংবা চন্দ্রায়ণ পালন করব? নাকি আপনার পদচিহ্নাঙ্কিত স্থানে অবস্থান করে মোক্ষ লাভ করতে পারব?
Pāñcāla (continuation of inquiry)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"Which prāyaścitta (trirātra, kṛcchra-pārāka, cāndrāyaṇa) or which sacred locus (a footprint-marked place) grants mokṣa?"}
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":"Enumerates recognized expiations—trirātra, kṛcchra-pārāka, cāndrāyaṇa—and raises tīrtha/ācārya-pāda-aṅkita-sthāna as a potential mokṣa-aid.","karmic_consequence":"Proper expiation reduces pāpa and supports eligibility for higher aims; treating place alone as a substitute for inner reform is implicitly questioned and requires right understanding."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Cāndrāyaṇa (vrata/prāyaścitta)","tithi_month":"One lunar month with waxing/waning regulated intake (candra-anusāra)","promised_fruit":"Purification from sin; restoration of dharmic standing; supportive condition for liberation when joined with right knowledge and conduct."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"means vs. end (sādhana-sādhya viveka)","core_concept":"Austerities and holy places are means of purification; mokṣa ultimately depends on inner transformation and right orientation, not mere external performance.","practical_application":"Undertake prāyaścitta with sincerity and restraint; use pilgrimage/holy sites to deepen vairāgya and self-discipline rather than as a transactional shortcut."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: jijñāsā (inquisitive tone)
Type: sacred spot / tīrtha-marker
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 176.85 (choice between agni-observance and tīrtha-sevā)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A questioning scene where Pāñcāla lists severe expiations and gestures toward a revered footprint-marked spot as a possible gateway to liberation.","item_prompts":["counting gestures for ‘trirātra’","austerity symbols (water pot, fasting bowl)","crescent moon motif for cāndrāyaṇa","stone slab or earth patch with clear footprints (pāda-cihna)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: prominent pāda-cihna on a pedestal, moon emblem above, ascetic implements around; Pāñcāla speaking to the rishi with controlled intensity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gilded footprint shrine with ornate frame; moon disc in gold; figures richly outlined; minimal background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined depiction of pāda-cihna with subtle shading; crescent moon and ritual items carefully rendered; calm, devotional palette.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: small footprint shrine near a riverbank or under a tree; moon in the sky; intimate teacher-student exchange."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, slightly urgent but disciplined","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm articulation on technical terms (kṛcchra-pārāka, cāndrāyaṇa), softening on ‘mokṣam’"}
FAQs
It lists recognized austerities (kṛcchra, cāndrāyaṇa) and also highlights footprint-marked locales, indicating how ascetic ideals and place-based devotion intersect in Purāṇic practice.
No explicit toponym is given; “pādāṅkita” indicates a site sacralized by association (a footprint-marked place).
It presents ethical self-discipline (tapas) and respectful engagement with sacred heritage sites as alternative or complementary means of moral-spiritual cultivation.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.