Varaha Purana 80.9: Adhyaya 80, Shloka 9
Cosmographic Ordering of the Southern and Western Quarters: Valleys, Forest-Plateaus, and Sacred Sites
Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography and Tīrtha Topography
तत्र च भगवतो विष्णोः परमेश्वरस्यायतनम् । तथा च शुक्लपाण्डुरयोऽपि महागिर्योरन्तरे त्रिंशद्योजनविस्तीर्णो नवत्यायत एकः शिलोद्देशो वृक्षविवर्जितः । तत्र निष्पङ्का दीर्घिका सवृक्षा च स्थलपद्मिनी अनेकजातीयैश्च पद्मैः शोभिता । तस्याश्च मध्ये पञ्चयोजनप्रमाणो महान्यग्रोधवृक्षः । तस्मिंश्चन्द्रशेखरोमापतिर्नीलवासाश्च देवो निवसति यक्षादिभिरीड्यमानः । सहस्रशिखरस्य गिरेः कुमुदस्य चान्तरे पञ्चाशद्योजनायामं विंशद्योजनविस्तृतमिक्षुक्षेपोच्चशिखरमनेकपक्षिसेवितम् । अनेकवृक्षफलैर्मधुरस्त्रवैरुपशोभितम् । तत्र चेन्द्रस्य महानाश्रमो दिव्याभिप्रायनिर्मितः । तथा च शङ्खकूटऋषभयोर्मध्ये पुरुषस्थलीरम्या । अनेकगुणानेकयोजनायता बिल्वप्रमाणैः कङ्कोलकैः सुगन्धिभिरुपेता । तत्र पुरुषकरसोन्मत्ता नागाद्याः प्रतिवसन्ति ॥९॥
tatra ca bhagavato viṣṇoḥ parameśvarasyāyatanam | tathā ca śuklapāṇḍurayor api mahāgiryor antare triṁśad-yojana-vistīrṇo navaty-āyata ekaḥ śiloddeśo vṛkṣa-vivarjitaḥ | tatra niṣpaṅkā dīrghikā savṛkṣā ca sthalapadminī aneka-jātīyaiś ca padmaiḥ śobhitā | tasyāś ca madhye pañca-yojana-pramāṇo mahā-nyagrodha-vṛkṣaḥ | tasmiṁś candraśekhara-umāpatir nīlavāsāś ca devo nivasati yakṣādibhir īḍyamānaḥ | sahasraśikharasya gireḥ kumudasya cāntare pañcāśad-yojanāyāmaṁ viṁśad-yojana-vistṛtam ikṣukṣepa-uccaśikharam aneka-pakṣi-sevitam | aneka-vṛkṣa-phalair madhura-stravair upaśobhitam | tatra cendrasya mahān āśramo divyābhiprāya-nirmitaḥ | tathā ca śaṅkhakūṭa-ṛṣabhayor madhye puruṣasthalī ramyā | aneka-guṇāneka-yojanāyatā bilva-pramāṇaiḥ kaṅkolakaiḥ sugandhibhir upetā | tatra puruṣa-karasonmattā nāgādyāḥ prativasanti ||9||
tatra cha bhagavato viShNoH parameshvarasyAyatanam | tathA cha shuklapANDurayorapi mahAgiryorantare triMshadyojanavistIrNo navatyAyata ekaH shiloddeshovRRikShavivarjitaH | tatra niShpa~NkA dIrghikA savRRikShA cha sthalapadminI anekajAtIyaishcha padmaiH shobhitA | tasyAshcha madhye pa~nchayojanapramANo mahAnyagrodhavRRikShaH | tasmiMshchandrashekharomApatirnIlavAsAshcha devo nivasati yakShAdibhirIDyamAnaH | sahastrashikharasya gireH kumudasya chAntare pa~nchAshadyojanAyAmaM viMshadyojanavistRRitamikShukShepochchashikharamanekapakShisevitam | anekavRRikShaphalairmadhurastravairupashobhitam | tatra chendrasya mahAnAshramo divyAbhiprAyanirmitaH | tathA cha sha~NkhakUTaRRiShabhayormadhye puruShasthalIramyA.anekaguNAnekayojanAyatA bilvapramANaiH ka~NkolakaiH sugandhibhirupetA | tatra puruShakarasonmattA nAgAdyAH prativasanti | ||9||
Dort befindet sich auch ein Heiligtum des Bhagavān Viṣṇu, des höchsten Herrn. Und zwischen den großen Bergen Śukla und Pāṇḍura liegt ein felsiger Landstrich, dreißig Yojanas breit und neunzig lang, ohne Bäume. An diesem Ort gibt es ein langes Wasserbecken, klar und schlammfrei; ferner einen Lotosteich auf festem Grund, geschmückt mit Lotossen vieler Arten. In seiner Mitte steht ein großer Nyagrodha (Banyan), fünf Yojanas an Maß. Dort wohnt eine Gottheit—Candraśekhara, Herr der Umā—in blauem Gewand, gepriesen von Yakṣas und anderen. Zwischen Sahasraśikhara und Kumuda liegt ein hochgipfliges Gebiet, fünfzig Yojanas lang und zwanzig breit, von vielen Vögeln besucht und verschönert durch zahlreiche Bäume, Früchte und süß fließende Säfte. Dort befindet sich auch Indras großes Āśrama, aus göttlicher Absicht gestaltet. Und zwischen Śaṅkhakūṭa und Ṛṣabha liegt der liebliche Ort namens Puruṣasthalī, über viele Yojanas ausgedehnt und reich an Vorzügen, versehen mit duftenden Kaṅkola-Bäumen von bilvaähnlicher Größe. Dort wohnen Nāgas und andere, wie berauscht von der Berührung des Puruṣa, der göttlichen Gegenwart.
Sandhi Notes
- parameśvarasyāyatanam (parameśvarasya+āyatanam)
- śuklapāṇḍurayor (śukla+pāṇḍurayoḥ)
- mahāgiryor
- triṃśadyojanavistīrṇaḥ
- navatyāyataḥ
- śiloddeśaḥ (śilā+uddeśaḥ)
- vṛkṣavivarjitaḥ
- sthalapadminī
- tasyāśca (tasyāḥ+ca)
- mahānyagrodhavṛkṣaḥ
- tasmiñcandraśekharaumāpatir (tasmin+candraśekhara-umā-patiḥ)
- nīlavāsāḥ
- yakṣādibhir
- īḍyamānaḥ
- cāntare (ca+antare)
- ikṣukṣepoccaśikharam
- anekapakṣisevitam
- phalairmadhurastravaiḥ (phalaiḥ+madhura+stravaiḥ)
- cendrasya (ca+indrasya)
- divyābhiprāyanirmitaḥ
- śaṅkhakūṭaṛṣabhayoḥ
- puruṣasthalīramyā (puruṣasthalī+ramyā)
- sugandhibhirupetā (sugandhibhiḥ+upetā)
- puruṣakarasonmattāḥ (puruṣa+kara+sa+unmattāḥ)
- nāgādyāḥ (nāga+ādyāḥ)
Varāha
Divine presence (puruṣa-sannidhi) transforms beings; tīrtha is not only location but a field of consciousness that awakens bhakti and awe
Approach sacred places with inner cleanliness (nirmalatā) like the ‘niṣpaṅkā’ waters; cultivate ekāgratā at a ‘center’ (nyagrodha/axis) for japa-dhyāna
Co-presence of Viṣṇu-āyatana with Śiva (Candraśekhara) and Indra’s āśrama encodes a Purāṇic mandala of divine functions within one earth-body: preservation, transformation, and sovereignty harmonized in sacred geography
The mudless reservoir and lotus-pond suggest ritual purity (āpah) and blossoming of knowledge; the central nyagrodha (banyan) functions like an axis mundi/yūpa analogue anchoring the ‘kṣetra’
Non-dual sacrality of space: one Brahman/Īśvara appears as many devatās by upādhi; pilgrimage becomes a method to intuit unity-in-diversity
Varāha Purāṇa: adhyāya 80 catalog of mountain-interval kṣetras; mention of Viṣṇu-āyatana within the same cosmographic sweep
FAQs
It exemplifies a Purāṇic mode of mapping sacred space through measured landscapes (yojanas), named mountains, ponds, trees, and āśramas, preserving a layered cultural memory of pilgrimage topography and its associated mythic custodians.
The verse names multiple toponyms (Śukla, Pāṇḍura, Sahasraśikhara, Kumuda, Śaṅkhakūṭa, Ṛṣabha, and Puruṣasthalī). These are best treated as Purāṇic sacred-geographic markers; secure modern identifications are uncertain without corroborating regional tīrtha lists and manuscript parallels.
Rather than a direct injunction, the passage advances an implicit stewardship ethic: sacred landscapes are described through water bodies, tree ecologies, and inhabited zones, encouraging careful attention to environmental features (ponds, fruit-bearing trees, bird habitats) as part of cultural heritage.
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