Varaha Purana 145.91 — Adhyaya 145, Shloka 91
The Greatness of the Śālagrāma Sacred Region
यज्ञस्तपोऽथवा दानं श्राद्धमिष्टस्य पूजनम् ॥ यत्किञ्चित्क्रियते कर्म तदनन्तफलं भवेत् ॥
yajñas tapo ’thavā dānaṃ śrāddham iṣṭasya pūjanam | yat kiñcit kriyate karma tad ananta-phalaṃ bhavet ||
Ob Opfer (yajña), Askese (tapas), Gabe (dāna), Ahnenopfer (śrāddha) oder Verehrung der erwählten Gottheit—welche Handlung hier auch vollzogen wird, sie wird zu einem Werk von grenzenlosem Ertrag.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"The praised kṣetra/tīrtha in Mathurā-maṇḍala where all acts become ananta-phala (site-name not specified in this verse)","parikrama_context":"Supports the logic of parikramā: any worship/charity/austerity performed at stations of the circuit is magnified","krishna_connection":"Implicit Vaiṣṇava frame (iṣṭa-pūjana; kṣetra-mahattva) compatible with later Kṛṣṇa-kṣetra theology, though not explicit"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"At this sacred locus, yajña, tapas, dāna, śrāddha, and iṣṭa-devatā-pūjā—indeed any karma—yields boundless fruit.","karmic_consequence":"Performance here multiplies results to 'ananta'; omission does not incur stated sin, but forfeits the exceptional amplification."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The kṣetra functions as a 'karma-ākṣaya' field: finite acts participate in the Infinite (Ananta/Nārāyaṇa) through right locus and devotion.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Not explicit in the verse; implicit yajña-spectrum (yajña–tapas–dāna–śrāddha–pūjā) gathered into one sanctified field.","vedantic_connection":"Finite karma, when offered with īśvara-buddhi in a sanctified context, is transmuted into akṣaya/ananta-phala—echoing the Purāṇic bridge from karma to mokṣa via bhakti and kṣetra-mahattva."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"kṣetra-mahattva and offering-ethics","core_concept":"The same ethical/religious act changes in potency by context; sacred space and intention can render karma 'ananta' in effect.","practical_application":"When at a tīrtha, prioritize core practices—dāna, śrāddha with care, iṣṭa-pūjā, and self-restraint—dedicating results to Nārāyaṇa rather than to egoic gain."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites","Sacred Geography"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: kṣetra (merit-amplifying sacred region)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa, Mathurā-māhātmya: repeated 'ananta/akṣaya-phala' claims for acts done in the kṣetra (surrounding section)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A panoramic sacred kṣetra where multiple rites occur simultaneously—yajña fire, ascetics in tapas, donors giving gifts, families performing śrāddha, and devotees worshiping their iṣṭa—under a unifying aura of 'ananta-phala'.","item_prompts":["yajña-kuṇḍa with fire","ṛtvij/priests","ascetic with japa-mālā","dāna scene (cloth/food/cow-symbol)","śrāddha offerings (piṇḍa, water libation)","temple shrine for iṣṭa-pūjā","radiant aura suggesting boundless fruit"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: segmented yet unified tableau of five acts (yajña, tapas, dāna, śrāddha, pūjā) with decorative borders; warm sacred palette; calm, iconic faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central deity/shrine with gold-leaf aura; surrounding vignettes of yajña, dāna, śrāddha; heavy ornamentation and luminous highlights.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced composition with refined figures and detailed ritual implements; soft glow around the kṣetra; emphasis on serenity and order.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative multi-scene layout in a single landscape; delicate lines, bright accents; intimate human scale with a subtle divine presence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic and inclusive","suggested_raga":"Kalyāṇi/Yaman","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"sonorous, expansive, concluding-affirmation style"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic kṣetra-māhātmya motif: associating specific landscapes with amplified ritual and ethical efficacy, a feature influential in South Asian pilgrimage mapping.
The verse itself does not name the site, but the surrounding passage (Adhyāya 145) situates the claim in the Gaṇḍakī–Śālagrāma sacred landscape.
It affirms the value of diverse forms of practice—ritual, discipline, giving, and remembrance—framed as meaningful moral action within a culturally marked place.
Ask anything about this verse
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.