Varaha Purana 162.1: Adhyaya 162, Shloka 1
The Efficacy and Merit of Cakra-tīrtha
अथ चक्रतीर्थप्रभावः ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ पुनरन्यत्प्रवक्ष्यामि तच्छृणुष्व वसुन्धरे ॥ चक्रतीर्थे पुरावृत्तं मथुरायास्तथोत्तरे ॥
atha cakratīrthaprabhāvaḥ || śrīvarāha uvāca || punar anyat pravakṣyāmi tac chṛṇuṣva vasundhare || cakratīrthe purāvṛttaṃ mathurāyās tathottare ||
Nun (beginnt) der Bericht über die Größe von Cakratīrtha. Śrī Varāha sprach: Wieder werde ich etwas anderes darlegen; höre es, o Vasundharā—was einst in Cakratīrtha geschah, nördlich von Mathurā.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"dialogue","earth_interaction":"Direct address to Earth as ‘Vasundharā’, inviting attentive listening to a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, receptive to sacred-history instruction","key_question":"What is the ancient account and specific greatness (prabhāva) of Cakratīrtha north of Mathurā?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Cakratīrtha (north of Mathurā)","parikrama_context":"Introduces a new node in the Mathurā-maṇḍala itinerary; functions as a narrative anchor for pilgrims visiting the northern sector.","krishna_connection":"Foreshadowed via ‘Cakra’ (Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana) and Vaiṣṇava tīrtha framing, preparing the landscape for later Kṛṣṇa-centered sanctity."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"śravaṇa (hearing) as sādhana","core_concept":"Listening to tīrtha-māhātmya with faith is itself a purifying act that orients the mind toward dharma and devotion.","practical_application":"Practice attentive śravaṇa before yātrā; let narrative meaning guide conduct at the site (cleanliness, restraint, worship)."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Historical Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: tīrtha (sacred ford/shrine site)
Related Themes: Transition marker ‘atha … prabhāvaḥ’ indicates a new sub-section within the Mathurā-māhātmya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha begins a new discourse: the greatness of Cakratīrtha, situated north of Mathurā, inviting Bhūdevī to listen to an ancient episode.","item_prompts":["Varāha speaking to Bhūdevī","a riverbank/ford with a chakra emblem or stone imprint","a directional cue ‘north of Mathurā’ via distant city silhouette","pilgrims gathered to hear/approach the tīrtha"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha and Bhūdevī in formal dialogue posture; stylized river with a prominent chakra symbol on the bank; Mathurā skyline in the distance.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central chakra-emblem tīrtha with gold radiance; Varāha and Bhūdevī as flanking figures with ornate jewelry; temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced composition—teacher Varāha, attentive Bhūdevī, serene riverbank with subtle chakra mark; refined ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative vignette with gentle landscape; small Mathurā city in background; bright chakra motif near water; intimate teacher-student mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative-opening, attentive","suggested_raga":"Ānandabhairavī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"storyteller clarity with a ceremonial emphasis on ‘Cakratīrthe’ and ‘Mathurāyāḥ’"}
FAQs
It serves as a section-header and narrative pivot, introducing a localized tīrtha-māhātmya tied to Mathurā’s northern environs.
Cakratīrtha, specified as lying to the north of Mathurā (mathurāyās tathottare).
The verse frames knowledge transmission as disciplined listening within the Varāha–Earth dialogue, preparing an etiological account of a heritage site.
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.