Varaha Purana 146.73: Adhyaya 146, Shloka 73
The Greatness of Hṛṣīkeśa at Rurukṣetra: The Origin Narrative of Ruru and the Sacred Site
यदि प्रसन्नो देवेश तदा मां कुरु पावनीम् ॥ मन्नाम्ना क्षेत्रमेतच्च ख्यातं भवतु नान्यथा ॥
yadi prasanno deveśa tadā māṁ kuru pāvanīm || man-nāmnā kṣetram etac ca khyātaṁ bhavatu nānyathā ||
„Wenn du gnädig gestimmt bist, o Herr der Götter, dann mache mich zur Reinigenden, zur Quelle der Läuterung. Und möge diese heilige Stätte durch meinen Namen berühmt werden, nicht anders.“
Pṛthivī (default inquirer voice)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Bhū-devī asks Varāha to make her ‘pāvanī’ (a purifier) and to have the kṣetra become famous by her name."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"aspirational, protective of dharma; seeking sanctification and recognition","key_question":"Will you sanctify me as a purifier and ensure this kṣetra is renowned by my name?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Unspecified kṣetra to be named after Pṛthivī/Bhū-devī (name not provided in the verse)","parikrama_context":"Implicit: naming and fame (khyāti) are typical prerequisites for inclusion in pilgrimage itineraries and parikramā traditions.","krishna_connection":"Indirect: Vaishnava sacred geography in Mathurā-maṇḍala often layers earlier avatāra sanctifications; no explicit Kṛṣṇa reference."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"A kṣetra becomes ‘pāvanī’ through divine sanction; its name and fame function as a dharmic marker guiding pilgrims to purifying contact.","karmic_consequence":"Contact with a truly ‘pāvanī’ kṣetra yields purification; neglecting/denying its sanctity implies loss of that purificatory opportunity (no explicit penalty stated)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"sacred-place metaphysics","core_concept":"Purification is not merely physical; it is conferred by divine pleasure (prasāda) and sustained by communal remembrance (khyāti).","practical_application":"Support and preserve tīrtha identity—name, narrative, and practice—so that sanctity remains accessible to later generations."}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Geography","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: prārthanā
Type: kṣetra/tīrtha (named sacred geography)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 146.82 (Varāha declares her body the supreme tīrtha, fulfilling ‘pāvanī’)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhū-devī requests sanctification and asks that the sacred site be known by her name; Varāha stands as the granter of prasāda.","item_prompts":["Bhū-devī in supplication","Varāha with blessing gesture (abhaya/vara-mudrā)","inscription-like banner/scroll hinting at ‘name/fame’","pilgrims or sages in background to suggest future renown"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: include a stylized palm-leaf manuscript motif indicating ‘khyāti’; Varāha bestowing boon; Bhū-devī poised and dignified.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf emphasis on Varāha’s blessing hand; add an embossed name-plaque motif for the kṣetra; rich ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant, restrained—Varāha’s vara-mudrā; Bhū-devī’s earnest face; subtle temple silhouette to imply future fame.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative detail—scribes/sages recording the kṣetra-name; gentle landscape; devotional focus on the request."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn petition with confidence in grace","suggested_raga":"Kedaragowla","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"steady, respectful, slightly emphatic on ‘pāvanīm’ and ‘mannāmnā’"}
FAQs
It documents a typical toponymic claim: a tīrtha becomes authoritative through a narrated naming act linked to purification functions.
A kṣetra (sacred site) is designated to be known by the petitioner’s name; the broader episode situates this within the Ruru-kṣetra tradition.
The ethical focus is on purification understood as moral-spiritual rehabilitation, linked to responsible engagement with sacred geography.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.