Varaha Purana 21.31: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 31
The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share
Pūrva Bhāga · Tīrtha-kṣetra Māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Ritual Topography)
तस्मिन्नृगादयस्त्वश्वास्त्रितत्त्वं च त्रिवेणुकम् । त्रिपूजकं त्रिषवणं धर्माक्षं मारुतध्वनिम् ॥ २१.३२ ॥
tasminn ṛgādayas tv aśvāstritattvaṃ ca triveṇukam | tripūjakaṃ triṣavaṇaṃ dharmākṣaṃ mārutadhvanim || 21.32 ||
tasminnRRigAdayastvashvAstritattvaM cha triveNukam | tripUjakaM triShavaNaM dharmAkShaM mArutadhvanim || 21.32 ||
તે સ્થાને ઋગાદિ, અશ્વાસ્ત્રિ, ત્રિતત્ત્વ, ત્રિવેણુક, ત્રિપૂજક, ત્રિસવન, ધર્માક્ષ અને મારુતધ્વનિ—આ પવિત્ર નામ-લક્ષણો પ્રાપ્ત થાય છે।
Sandhi Notes
- तस्मिन्नृगादयः → तस्मिन् + ऋक्-आदयः
- त्वश्वाः → तु + अश्वाः
- त्रितत्त्वं → त्रि-तत्त्वम्
- त्रिवेणुकम्/त्रिपूजकम्/त्रिषवणम् are dvigu compounds
- धर्माक्षं → धर्म-अक्षम्
- मारुतध्वनिम् → मारुत-ध्वनिम्
Varāha
Space becomes sacred through dharma-coded practice (time, recitation, worship) rather than mere physicality.
Approach pilgrimage as disciplined routine: maintain tri-savana remembrance/pūjā, recite Vedic/mantric portions, and treat named sites as prompts for inner alignment.
Toponymy as cosmogram: the ‘threefold’ names (tri-*) map the landscape to Vedic order—knowledge (ṛk), ritual streams (veṇu/veṇī as confluence imagery), and time (savana).
Tri-savana evokes the three Soma-pressings; Tri-pūjaka evokes triple worship (morning/noon/evening); Dharmākṣa suggests ‘axis/eye of dharma’ anchoring the field.
Dharma as the structuring principle of space-time: tīrtha is not merely place but a locus where sattva and right action align the jīva with ṛta/dharma.
Sacred geography is encoded through ritual-temporal markers (tri-savana, tri-pūjaka), implying regulated daily worship and Vedic recitation as the mode of engaging the tīrtha.
Observance of tri-savana/regular pūjā at such tīrthas yields puṇya and dharma-stability; neglect implies loss of merit and weakening of dhārmic orientation.
Indirect: Mathurā-maṇḍala sanctity anticipates Vraja/Kṛṣṇa-līlā geography, though Kṛṣṇa is not named here
Varāha Purāṇa Mathurā-māhātmya style catalogues of tīrthas (adjacent verses in the same adhyāya)
FAQs
The verse functions like a catalog of place-epithets or micro-toponyms, reflecting how Purāṇic texts preserved ritual geography through named features and devotional-ritual markers.
The verse refers to “tasmin” (“in that place”) without naming the broader site in this fragment; the listed terms appear to be localized names/epithets within a larger tīrtha description earlier in the chapter.
Rather than a direct moral injunction, the verse emphasizes structured ritual time (triṣavaṇa) and ordered sacred space through naming—supporting a cultural ethic of maintaining and recognizing heritage landscapes.
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