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
¿Cuál es la medida o extensión del sagrado kṣetra, y qué fruto del tīrtha se recuerda en la tradición? ¿Y cómo está allí Paśupati—el Bhagavān—portando la forma de un ciervo?
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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