Varaha Purana 213.8 — Adhyaya 213, Shloka 8
The Glory of Gokarṇeśvara: Nandin’s Austerities and Śiva’s Boons
क्षेत्रस्य कि प्रमाणं स्यात्किञ्च तीर्थफलं स्मृतम् ॥ कथं पशुपतिस्तत्र भगवान्मृगरूपधृक्
kṣetrasya ki pramāṇaṃ syāt kiñca tīrthaphalaṃ smṛtam || kathaṃ paśupatis tatra bhagavān mṛgarūpadhṛk
„Welches Maß, welche Ausdehnung, hat das heilige Kṣetra, und welche Frucht des Tīrtha wird in der Überlieferung genannt? Und wie ist dort Paśupati—der Bhagavān—als Hirschgestalt tragend?“
Sanatkumāra
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"What is the extent of the sacred kṣetra, what is the tīrtha’s fruit, and how/why is Paśupati present there in a deer-form?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
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":"hermeneutics of sacred space","core_concept":"Tīrtha is defined not only by geography (measure) but by divine presence and mythic cause (rūpa-kathā).","practical_application":"Approach pilgrimage with correct knowledge: learn the site’s extent, the promised fruit, and the deity’s local form before performing rites."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred Geography","Ritual Studies","Mythic Iconography"]
Primary Rasa: jijnasa
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: kṣetra/tīrtha (sacred field and ford)
Related Themes: 213.9.0 (follow-up questions on divine approach and locus of the deer-body); 213.11-213.12 (transition to Brahmā’s confidential explanation)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage (Sanatkumāra) poses precise questions about a sacred field’s boundaries and the mysterious deer-form of Paśupati at that tīrtha.","item_prompts":["Sanatkumāra in ascetic attire","gesture of inquiry (raised hand)","map-like suggestion of a kṣetra boundary","tīrtha riverbank/ford","a luminous deer symbolizing Paśupati","subtle Śaiva markers (trident motif in background, not dominant)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Sanatkumāra seated in a forest āśrama near a river-tīrtha, warm earthy palette, stylized deer with divine aura indicating Paśupati, ornamental foliage framing the ‘kṣetra’.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central divine deer-form with halo and gold-leaf radiance, Sanatkumāra at side in reverent inquiry, temple-like arch suggesting kṣetra sanctity, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined linework, calm āśrama setting, Sanatkumāra questioning, deer-form subtly divine with soft halo, emphasis on sacred geography elements (river, boundary stones).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: mountainous/riverine tīrtha landscape, small figures of the sage in dialogue, prominent graceful deer with aura, delicate natural scenery emphasizing pilgrimage mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquisitive and reverential","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, questioning, slightly hushed on ‘guhya’ implications"}
FAQs
It reflects a genre feature of tīrtha-māhātmya: specifying spatial boundaries (pramāṇa) and enumerating culturally valued outcomes (phala).
The verse refers to a specific kṣetra/tīrtha discussed in this chapter (linked with Gokarṇa/Śṛṅgeśvara in the surrounding verses), though it does not name it anew here.
It encourages informed engagement with heritage landscapes: knowing a site’s extent, traditions, and narrative meanings rather than treating pilgrimage as merely transactional.
Ask anything about this verse
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