Varaha Purana 137.68: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 68

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Devanagari script

चक्रतीर्थे विशालाक्षि मरणे कृतकृत्यतः ॥ एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य श्रोतुकामा वसुन्धरा

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 137.68

Transliteration

cakratīrthe viśālākṣi maraṇe kṛtakṛtyataḥ || etac chrutvā vacas tasya śrotukāmā vasundharā

Translation

„In Cakra-tīrtha, o Weitblickende, wird man im Sterben zu einem, der ‘getan hat, was zu tun war’. Als Vasundharā (die Erde) seine Worte hörte, begehrte sie, weiter zu lauschen.“

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Word by Word

• cakra-tīrthe: at Cakra-tīrtha

• viśālākṣi: O wide-eyed one

• maraṇe: at death

• kṛta-kṛtyatā: the state of having fulfilled one’s duty

• etat: this

• śrutvā: having heard

• vacaḥ: words

• tasya: of him

• śrotu-kāmā: desiring to hear

• vasundharā: Earth

Speaker

Varāha (default; Vasundharā/Pṛthivī referenced as listener)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma and identity","core_concept":"Smṛti arising reveals continuity of self across altered embodiments; kingship/status is contingent, while karmic causality persists through transformations.","practical_application":"Treat present identity and power as impermanent; act with dharma to avoid degrading rebirths; cultivate remembrance (smṛti) as a trigger for repentance and correction."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Ethics","Geography"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuṇa

Geographic Context

Type: araṇya (forest)

Cross References

Related Themes: Metamorphosis/curse-redemption episodes within Varāha Purāṇa narrative cycles

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king, moved by his beloved’s words, suddenly remembers and confesses a shocking truth: he is (or was) a vulture, tied to a forest-dweller; the moment is intimate and uncanny.","item_prompts":["king with troubled expression","queen/beloved listening","shadowy forest backdrop","vulture silhouette or emblem hinting past form","gesture of confession (hand to chest)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic eye-work; king in royal attire with a subtle vulture motif; forest stylization; adbhuta-karuṇa blend.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: regal couple with gold ornamentation; a small vulture emblem in background; emphasis on the king’s face and confession moment.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced expressions; soft forest tones; symbolic vulture presence without grotesquery.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate palace-forest edge scene; lyrical composition with a perched vulture in a tree; emotional revelation centered."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic revelation, reflective","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave, confessional"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Sacred Geography
• Death Ritual Discourse
• Purāṇic Dialogue

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies tīrtha-māhātmya rhetoric that connects a named pilgrimage site with ideals of a ‘complete life’ (kṛtakṛtya), and it preserves the dialogic framing with Earth as an inquirer.

Which geographic location is identified?

Cakra-tīrtha (a named tīrtha in the text; precise modern identification requires manuscript tradition and regional mapping beyond this excerpt).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It elevates the ideal of fulfilling one’s obligations (kṛtakṛtyatā) and frames sacred-place association as meaningful at life’s end.