Varaha Purana 137.139 — Adhyaya 137, Shloka 139
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
तत्तीर्थं येन विज्ञेयं मम मार्गानुसारिणा ॥ वैशाखस्य तु मासस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य द्वादशी ॥
tat tīrthaṃ yena vijñeyaṃ mama mārgānusāriṇā || vaiśākhasya tu māsasya śukla-pakṣasya dvādaśī
Diese Tīrtha ist von dem zu erkennen, der meinem Pfad folgt: sie ist gekennzeichnet durch den zwölften Mondtag der hellen Monatshälfte im Monat Vaiśākha.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"astonished","key_question":"What forms of prāyaścitta and ascetic endurance can counteract grave wrongdoing, and what do such immense time-scales signify?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Cāndrāyaṇa is presented as a paradigmatic expiatory observance; extreme tapas (including vāyu-bhakṣaṇa) is depicted as prolonged atonement.","karmic_consequence":"Following prāyaścitta burns/attenuates pāpa and restores eligibility for dharma; refusal leaves one bound to the fruits of duṣkṛta (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata (as prāyaścitta)","tithi_month":"Moon-regulated regimen (waxing/waning-based), not fixed to a single tithi in this verse","promised_fruit":"Purification from sin, restoration of dhārmic standing; narrative implies extraordinary merit through sustained observance."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"discipline and purification","core_concept":"Karma can be countered by deliberate self-regulation; purification is proportional to sincerity and sustained restraint.","practical_application":"Adopt appropriate, śāstra-aligned prāyaścitta under guidance; practice gradual restraint (food, breath, senses) rather than performative extremes."}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Ritual calendar","Sacred geography","Pilgrimage practice"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: ascetic site/retreat (implied)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa moral-exemplum sequences where prāyaścitta follows wicked action
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An ascetic figure performing Cāndrāyaṇa over vast time, then standing in stark solitude sustained only by air—emphasizing endurance and purification.","item_prompts":["emaciated ascetic","moon-phase arc (Cāndrāyaṇa)","counting beads or ritual ladle (symbolic)","wind lines/breath motif","desolate hermitage"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: ascetic in strong profile with stylized moon-phase border; restrained palette; emphasis on tapas-fire aura without literal flames.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: iconic ascetic figure with embossed moon halo/arc; gold accents used sparingly to mark ‘vrata’ sanctity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: realistic austerity depiction, subtle body language, moonlight gradations to suggest lunar regimen.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: solitary yogi on a hillside, delicate wind motifs, moon phases painted as a decorative frieze."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"austere and weighty","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"grave, sustained, with elongated cadence on large numbers (daśa-varṣa-sahasrakam / sapta-sahasrāṇi)"}
FAQs
It shows how Purāṇic texts encode pilgrimage timing through lunar calendrics, aiding reconstruction of historical observance patterns and festival geographies.
A tīrtha is referenced but not named in this verse; it likely continues the previously mentioned tīrtha context (e.g., Vaivasvata or Soma-tīrtha) in the chapter sequence.
The verse emphasizes disciplined adherence to a prescribed path/practice, linking correct timing and method with proper recognition of sacred space.
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