Varaha Purana 149.8 — Adhyaya 149, Shloka 8
The Sacred Geography and Merit of Dvārakā
पञ्चयोजनविस्तारा दशयोजनमायता ॥ वसाम्यत्र वरारोहे शतपञ्चसमास्तथा ॥
pañcayojanavistārā daśayojanamāyatā || vasāmy atra varārohe śatapañcasamās tathā
Fünf Yojanas war sie an Breite und zehn Yojanas an Länge. Dort weile ich, o du Schönhüftige, hundertfünf Jahre lang.
Varāha (addressing Pṛthivī)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha addresses Bhū-devī (‘varārohe’) while giving metrological dimensions and a time-span of residence, grounding the narrative in measurable space-time."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"attentive, visualizing the described city and duration","key_question":"None (quantitative detail): how large is the city and how long does the Lord dwell there?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"Indirect: the quantified description of Dvārakā supports Kṛṣṇa’s royal-līlā setting and its purāṇic historicity tone."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The immeasurable Lord chooses measurable dwelling: transcendence expressed through immanence; sacred space becomes a calibrated ‘field’ for dharma.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"Saguna manifestation within nāma-rūpa and kāla-deśa without limiting the nirguṇa ground; the Lord’s līlā operates within quantifiable frameworks for human comprehension."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"immanence and accessibility","core_concept":"Divinity becomes accessible by entering defined space and time; the sacred can be contemplated through concrete particulars (measure, duration).","practical_application":"Use concrete contemplations—place, time, and narrative detail—to stabilize devotion and ethical resolve (smaraṇa supported by vividness)."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Metrology","Mythic Chronology","Settlement Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: sacred city (measured description)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa descriptive passages using yojana measures for tīrthas/cities
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic-yet-sacred depiction of Dvārakā’s dimensions—breadth and length—while Varāha states his long residence there, addressing Bhū-devī.","item_prompts":["map-like city rectangle with gates","scale markers ‘5 yojana’ and ‘10 yojana’","Varāha gesturing as if outlining a plan","Bhū-devī listening","ocean boundary around Dvārakā"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: narrative foreground with Varāha and Bhū-devī; background stylized city-plan motif with decorative measurement bands, rich colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha and Bhū-devī in gold-haloed foreground; inset geometric city-plan with gold accents on walls and gates.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined architectural plan elements blended into a classical scene; subtle inscriptions for measures; calm didactic mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: charming miniature with a simplified city-plan and ocean, delicate labeling of measures, intimate teacher-disciple framing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"measured, explanatory","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"madhyama (slightly deliberate)","voice_tone":"even, precise, instructive"}
FAQs
It provides metrological data typical of Purāṇic sacred geography, useful for comparative studies of textual cartography.
The implied location is Dvārakā (from the preceding verse), described with breadth and length in yojanas.
The verse primarily conveys descriptive geography; ethically, it supports the Purāṇic theme that orderly habitation and measured space reflect stability.
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