Varaha Purana 160.80: Adhyaya 160, Shloka 80
The Prescribed Emergence and Procedure of the Mathurā Circumambulation
Parikramā
वर्षखातं ततो गत्वा कुण्डं पापहरं परम् ॥ गत्वा स्नात्वा पितॄंस्तर्प्य सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
varṣakhātaṁ tato gatvā kuṇḍaṁ pāpaharaṁ param || gatvā snātvā pitṝṁs tarpya sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate
Dann, nachdem man nach Varṣakhāta gegangen ist, zu dem Kuṇḍa, der als höchster Sündenvertreiber gilt, geht man hin, badet und bringt den Ahnen Tarpaṇa (Wasserlibationen) dar; so wird man von allen Verfehlungen befreit.
Varāha (default dialogue frame)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Varṣakhāta-kuṇḍa (pāpa-hara kuṇḍa)","parikrama_context":"A prescribed stop within the Mathurā-maṇḍala yātrā; bathing and pitṛ-tarpaṇa are integrated into the circuit.","krishna_connection":"No explicit Kṛṣṇa episode here; the sanctity is framed through tīrtha-māhātmya typical of Vraja/Mathurā traditions."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"At Varṣakhāta-kuṇḍa, perform snāna and pitṛ-tarpaṇa (libations to ancestors) according to rite; this leads to pāpa-kṣaya.","karmic_consequence":"Proper snāna + tarpaṇa yields release from wrongdoings (sarva-pāpa-pramocana); neglect implies loss of the stated purificatory fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma as gratitude (ṛṇa-traya)","core_concept":"Purification is not only personal (snāna) but relational—honoring pitṛs through tarpaṇa dissolves moral residue and restores harmony.","practical_application":"When visiting sacred waters, combine inner intention with prescribed acts: bathe mindfully, then offer tarpaṇa with remembrance and restraint."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: kuṇḍa (sacred pond)
Related Themes: Same Mathurā-māhātmya passage: tīrtha-sequence culminating in ritual acts (snāna, tarpaṇa)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim arrives at Varṣakhāta-kuṇḍa, bathes, then stands at the water’s edge offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; the kuṇḍa glows as ‘pāpa-hara’.","item_prompts":["sacred pond with steps (ghāṭa)","pilgrim in wet cloth after snāna","cupped-hand water offering (añjali)","pitṛ symbols (subtle ancestral silhouettes or śrāddha vessels)","waterpot, darbha grass, small offering plate"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized ghāṭa and lotus pond; devotee performing tarpaṇa with darbha; warm reds/ochres; divine sanctity shown as patterned aura over water.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: shimmering gold highlights on the kuṇḍa surface; ornate ghāṭa; devotee with ritual vessels; small gold-framed caption ‘Varṣakhāta-kuṇḍa’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined, calm composition; detailed ripples; soft halos; emphasis on ritual gesture and serenity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: cool-toned pond in a gentle landscape; intimate scale; delicate depiction of tarpaṇa gesture and quiet devotional mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, purificatory, rite-oriented","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow-medium","voice_tone":"grave, compassionate, precise"}
FAQs
It links sacred-water sites with ancestral rites (tarpaṇa), reflecting how pilgrimage integrated household/lineage obligations into public sacred geography.
Varṣakhāta and a designated kuṇḍa are named; modern identification is uncertain without corroborating regional tīrtha lists and local tradition.
To remember lineage obligations and practice ritual responsibility (tarpaṇa) as part of moral self-discipline.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.