Varaha Purana 155.63 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 63
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
एष तीर्थप्रभावो वै कथितस्ते वसुन्धरे ॥ अक्रूराच्च परं तीर्थं न भूतं न भविष्यति ॥
eṣa tīrthaprabhāvo vai kathitas te vasundhare || akrūrāc ca paraṁ tīrthaṁ na bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣyati ||
So ist dir, o Vasundharā, die Wirkkraft dieses Tīrtha dargelegt worden. Es gab keinen heiligen Ort, der Akrūras Tīrtha übertraf, und es wird keinen geben.
Varāha (default narrative instructor voice addressing Earth)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha addresses Earth directly as Vasundharā, instructing her on tīrtha-māhātmya."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"attentive, receptive to sacred-geography instruction","key_question":"Which tīrtha is supreme in efficacy, and what is its unique greatness?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Akrūra-tīrtha (Akrūra-ghāṭa on the Yamunā)","parikrama_context":"Implied as a paramount stop within Mathurā-maṇḍala yātrā/parikramā due to its unsurpassed status.","krishna_connection":"Akrūra is Krishna’s devotee and charioteer who brings Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma to Mathurā; the tīrtha’s fame foreshadows Krishna-līlā geography."}
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":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"tīrtha-śraddhā / sacred-place theology","core_concept":"Sacred geography functions as a conduit of grace; certain loci concentrate purifying potency beyond ordinary merit.","practical_application":"Undertake yātrā with faith; prioritize Akrūra-tīrtha in Mathurā pilgrimage and approach it with reverence and restraint."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: tīrtha/ghāṭa (river ford)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155 (Mathurā-māhātmya section; Akrūra-tīrtha praise continues in adjacent verses)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha as divine instructor speaks to personified Earth, pointing out the Yamunā ford of Akrūra as the unsurpassed tīrtha.","item_prompts":["Varāha (divine teacher posture)","Bhu-devī as Earth-goddess listening","Yamunā river with ghāṭa steps","pilgrims with water pots","inscribed marker ‘Akrūra-tīrtha’"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Varāha with ornate crown and halo teaching Bhu-devī; stylized Yamunā with lotus motifs; warm earthy palette, dense ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central Varāha and Bhu-devī with gold-leaf halos; Yamunā ghāṭa rendered as iconic backdrop; rich jewelry and embossed detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined linework, soft shading; Varāha instructing with calm gesture; serene riverbank with pilgrims; delicate textile patterns.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical Braj riverscape; small figures of pilgrims; Varāha and Bhu-devī in a pavilion-like setting; cool blues/greens for Yamunā."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverential proclamation of tīrtha-supremacy","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, declarative, instructive"}
FAQs
Such superlative claims are characteristic of tīrtha-māhātmya literature, supporting the cultural history of pilgrimage networks and the textual promotion of specific sacred sites.
Akrūra-tīrtha is named; the verse itself does not provide further cartographic identifiers, and modern identification depends on broader textual and regional traditions.
It encourages engagement with culturally valued heritage sites through the idiom of tīrtha efficacy, framing pilgrimage as a meaningful ethical and social practice.
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