Adhyaya 166: The Greatness of the Sacred Pond Called Asikuṇḍa
Asikuṇḍa-tīrtha-māhātmya
Tīrtha-māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Ritual Merit)
Prithivi ne Varaha se Asikund tirth ke baare mein poocha. Varaha ne bataya ki Sumati raja swarg gaya tha aur uska beta Vimati raj karne laga. Narad ji ne Vimati se kaha ki beta ko baap ka karz utarna chahiye. Vimati char mahine ki yatra par Mathura gaya. Mathura ke tirth darr ke maare Kalpagram bhag gaye aur Varaha se bachao maanga. Varaha ne Vimati ka ahankar tod diya aur apni talwar se dharti utha kar ek bada kund banaya. Isliye iska naam Asikund pada. Yahan snan karne se char sone ke roop dikhayi dete hain.
Speakers
Key Concepts
Shlokas in Adhyaya 166
Verse 1
धरण्युवाच ॥ श्रुतानि तु महादेव तीर्थानि विविधानि तु ॥ असिकुण्डेति संज्ञेयं तन्मे त्वं कथय प्रभो
Dhara ne poocha. Mahadev, maine bahut teerthon ke baare mein suna hai. Prabhu, mujhe Asikund ke baare mein batao.
Verse 2
श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ सुमतिर्नाम राजासीद्धार्मिको लोकविश्रुतः ॥ तीर्थयात्रानिमित्तेन स्वर्गलोकं गतः पुरा ॥
Varaha bhagwan ne kaha. Pehle ek raja tha jiska naam Sumati tha. Woh logon mein bada jaana jaata tha kyunki woh dharam wala aadmi tha. Ek baar woh teerth yatra par gaya aur wahan se swarg chala gaya.
Verse 3
गते स्वर्गं तु नृपतौ पुत्रो राज्यं चकार ह ॥ विमतिर्नाम नाम्ना च राज्ये पैतामहे स्थितः ॥
Jab raja swarg gaya to uska beta rajya sambhalne laga. Uska naam Vimati tha. Woh apne purkho ki parampara mein raja bana.
Verse 4
राज्यं च कुर्वतस्तस्य आगतो नारदस्तदा ॥ विष्टरं पाद्यमर्घ्यं च तस्मै दत्तं यथोचितम् ॥
Jab woh rajya chala raha tha tab Narad wahan aaye. Raja ne unko baithne ki jagah di, paani diya pair dhone ke liye, aur samman mein cheezein di. Jo sharm ki baat thi woh sab kiya.
Verse 5
प्रतिगृह्य च तत्सर्वं तमुवाच स नारदः ॥ पितुर्ह्यनृणतां गत्वा स पुत्रो धर्मभाग्भवेत् ॥
Narad ne woh sab liya aur raja se kaha. Beta, jab tak tum apne baap ka kaam nahi karte, tab tak tum dharam ke haqdaar nahi ho. Baap ka ek kaam hota hai jo karna padta hai.
Verse 6
इत्युक्त्वा नारदस्तत्र तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ॥ नारदे तु गते राजा पप्रच्छ स्वात्ममन्त्रिणः ॥
Yeh keh ke Narad wahi gayab ho gaye. Jab Narad chale gaye to raja ne apne mantriyon se poocha ki ab karna kya hai.
Verse 7
तदा किमुक्तमृषिणा नारदेन पितुः कृते ॥ आनृण्यमिति यद्वाक्यं मया बुद्धं न किञ्चन ॥
Narad rishi ne mere baap ke baare mein kya kaha? Unhone ek shabd bola tha, anrunya, jo kahta hai ki koi karz nahi. Main uska matlab samajh nahi paaya.
Verse 8
मन्त्रिणश्च ततो ज्ञात्वा पितुर्मरणमेव च ॥ तीर्थयात्रानिमित्तं च तस्मै राज्ञे न्यवेदयन् ॥
Mantriyon ko pata chala ki raja ka baap mar gaya hai. Unhone ye bhi jaana ki teerth yatra ka time aa gaya hai. Woh sab baat raja ko bataane lage.
Verse 9
अतएवोक्तमानृण्यं नारदेन पितुस्तव ॥ श्रुत्वा वाक्यं तदा राजा तीर्थयात्रां चकार ह ॥
Narad ne isliye anrunya shabd bola tha raja ke baap ke baare mein. Raja ye sun ke teerth yatra par nikal pada.
Verse 10
सर्वाणि तत्र तीर्थानि तिष्ठन्ति विविधानि च ॥ आगते तु नृपे तत्र तीर्थान्यूचुः परस्परम् ॥
Wahan pe saare teerth the, alag-alag jagah se. Jab raja wahan pahuncha, toh teerth aapas mein baat karne lage.
Verse 11
युद्धं विमतिना सार्द्धं स्वयं कर्त्तुं न शक्नुमः ॥ कल्पग्रामं तु गच्छामो वराहो यत्र तिष्ठति ॥
Hum Vimati se akele lad nahi sakte. Chalo Kalpagram chalte hain, wahan Varah bhagwan rehte hain.
Verse 12
यावन्निरीक्षयाम्यग्रं तावत्तिष्ठन्ति सन्निधौ ॥ तीर्थान्यूचुः ॥ जय विष्णो जयाचिन्त्य जय देव जयाच्युत ।
Jab tak main sabse bade ko dekh raha hoon, tab tak woh sab paas khade rehte hain. Tirthon ne kaha, Jay Vishnu, Jay jo socha bhi nahi ja sakta, Jay Dev, Jay Acyut.
Verse 13
जय विश्वेश कर्त्तेश जय देव नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ तीर्थैः स्तुतोऽहं वसुधे वचनं चेदमब्रुवम् ।
Jay duniya ke malik, karam ke malik, Jay Dev, tumhe pranaam. Shri Varaha bole, tirthon ne mujhe yahan tareef kiya, aur maine Vasudha se yeh baat kahi.
Verse 14
वरं वृणुत भद्रं वो यद्वो मनसि वर्त्तते ॥ तीर्थान्यूचुः ॥ वराह यदि देवेश अभयं दातुमर्हसि ।
Jo tumhe chahiye woh maang lo, tumhara bhalai ho. Tirthon ne kaha, Varaha, agar tum humein dar se azaad kar sakte ho toh karo.
Verse 15
सुपापिना विमतिना कृतस्त्रासः सुदारुणः ॥ तं नियच्छस्व पापिष्ठं यदि पश्यसि नः सुखम् ।
Ek bada paapi aadmi hai, uska dimaag bigda hua hai. Usne humein bahut dara rakha hai. Usko rok do, tumhara bhala ho.
Verse 16
श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ हिताय सर्वतीर्थानां हनिष्यामि महारिपुम् ॥ तत्र तीर्थनियोगेन आगतो मथुरां पुरीम् ।
Shri Varaha bole, sab tirthon ke liye main us dushman ko mar dunga. Tirthon ne kaha, isliye main Mathura nagar aaya.
Verse 17
तत्रागते तु वसुधे युद्धं कृत्वा तु तेन वै ॥ तदासिना तु दिव्येन स राजा बलदर्पितः ॥ सूदितो हि मया देवि अस्यग्रं निहितं भुवि ।
Jab main wahan pahuncha, Devi, aur us raja se ladai hui. Woh apni taakat ka bohoth bada tha, apne bal par ghamaand kar raha tha. Mainne use apni divya talwar se mar daala. Devi, uska sar zameen par gir gaya tha.
Verse 18
तत्राश्चर्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि मनःकर्णसुखावहम् ॥ पश्यन्ति मनुजाः सिद्धाः सर्वपापविवर्जिताः ।
Ab main ek ajab baat batata hoon, Devi. Yeh sunne aur sochne mein bohoth acchi lagti hai. Jo log paap se mukt hote hain, woh siddh ho jaate hain. Woh log iska phal dekh paate hain.
Verse 19
द्वादश्यां च चतुर्दश्यां श्रद्धधानाः जितेन्द्रियाः ॥ फलानि तस्य पश्यन्ति लभन्ते न सुनिश्चिताः ।
Dwadashi aur Chaturdashi ko jo log vrat rakhte hain, woh apne mann ko control mein rakhte hain. Woh iska phal dekh paate hain. Unhe woh phal zaroor milta hai, koi shak nahi.
Verse 20
तस्मिन्काले ह्यहं देवि मथुरायां समागतः ॥ तत्र तिष्ठाम्यहं भद्रे पश्चिमां दिशमाश्रितः ।
Us waqt, Devi, main Mathura aaya tha. Wahan main rehta hoon, badi acchi jagah hai. Main paschim disha mein base hoon, wahan mera sthan hai.
Verse 21
तत्र कृत्वा च हैरण्याः मूर्त्तयश्च चतुर्विधाः ॥ तीर्थे वराहसंज्ञे तु मथुरायां व्यवस्थिताः ।
Wahan logon ne sonay ki moortiyan banayi thin, chaar tarah ki. Woh Mathura mein sthapit hui thin. Us tirth ka naam Varaha Tirth hai, wahan woh moortiyan hain.
Verse 22
सुदृढाः सुदृशः सुभ्रू यः पश्यति स मुच्यते ॥ एका वराहसंज्ञा च तथा नारायणस्य च ॥
Sundar bhai, jo koi bhi in murtiyon ko dekh leta hai woh mukt ho jata hai. Ek murti ka naam Varaha hai aur doosri Narayan ki hai. Inhe dekhna bahut khaas hai.
Verse 23
वामनस्य तृतीया वै चतुर्थी राघवस्य च ॥ एताश्चतस्रो यः पश्येत्स्नात्वा कुण्डेऽसिसंज्ञिते ॥
Teesri murti Vaman ki hai aur chauthi Raghav ki hai. Asi naam ke kund mein naha ke jo koi bhi in chaaron murtiyon ko dekh leta hai uska kaam ban jata hai.
Verse 24
चतुःसागरपर्यन्ता क्रान्ता तेन धरा ध्रुवम् ॥ तीर्थानां माठुराणां च सर्वेषां फलमश्नुते ॥
Isse aisa lagta hai jaise poori dharti chhod di ho, chaaron samundar paar kar liye ho. Mathura ke saare teerthon ka phal mil jata hai.
Verse 25
तत्र सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु असिकुण्डं महत्तरम् ॥ या संख्या कथिता पूर्वं तीर्थानां दक्षिणोत्तरे ॥
In saare teerthon mein sabse bada Asi kund hai. Pehle jo teerth bataye the, dakshin aur uttar ke, sabse upar yeh Asi kund aata hai.
Verse 26
असिकुण्डं समारभ्य तीर्थानुक्रमणिका वरा ॥ सुप्तोत्थितोऽपि द्वादश्यामसिकुण्डाप्लुतो नरः ॥
Asi kund se shuru hoti hai teerthon ki poori list. Jo koi bhi dwadashi ko uth ke Asi kund mein ishnaan kar leta hai, usko bahut punya milta hai.
Verse 27
गतानि तत्र तीर्थानि कल्पग्रामं वसुन्धरे ॥ तत्र वाराहरूपेण स्थितोऽहं च यदृच्छया ॥
Vasundhara, woh saare teerth ab Kalpagram mein chale gaye hain. Main wahan Varaha roop mein aaya tha. Yeh ek coincidence thi, main wahan ruk gaya tha.
Verse 28
विमतेर्बुद्धिरुत्पन्ना गच्छामो मथुरां पुरीम् ॥ चतुरो वार्षिकान्मासान्मथुरायां वसामहे ॥
Vimati ka mann bana ki chalo Mathura chalte hain. Unhone socha ki baarish ke chaar mahine wahan rehte hain.
Verse 29
असेरग्रेण तूद्धृत्य मृत्तिकां वरवर्णिनि ॥ तत्र कुण्डं महद्दिव्यं देवर्षिविधिनिर्मितम् ॥ असिकुण्डेति संज्ञा च प्राप्ता तेन वसुन्धरे ॥
Gori, talwar ki nok se zameen khodi gayi. Wahan ek bada aur achha kund bana. Dev rishiyon ne hi banaya tha. Uska naam Asikund pad gaya, Vasundhara.
Verse 30
मूर्त्तीः पश्यति यस्तास्तु ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ नास्तीह पुनरावृत्तिर्भवेत्कालविपर्यये ॥
Jo wahan moortiyan dekh leta hai woh Brahma tak pahunch jata hai. Phir wapas janam nahi hota, chahe kaal bhi ulat jaye.
Inside Adhyaya 166
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Pṛthivī questions Varāha about a particular tīrtha named Asikuṇḍa and its distinctive power within the Mathurā sacred network, framing the inquiry as concern for the ordered functioning of terrestrial sacred geography.
- Central event
Varāha recounts the royal episode of King Sumati’s ascent to Svarga after tīrtha-yātrā and the succession of his son Vimatī; Nārada’s visit to Vimatī introduces the doctrine of ānṛṇya (a son’s duty to remove the father’s indebtedness), which redirects Vimatī toward a four-month Mathurā observance even as his violent disposition alarms the Mathurā tīrthas.
- Climax resolution
The frightened tīrthas seek refuge at Kalpagrāma where Varāha abides; Varāha confronts Vimatī, breaks his arrogance, and—using the tip of a divine sword—lifts and reshapes earth to form a great pond, establishing the sword-born kuṇḍa as Asikuṇḍa and restoring safe ritual order to the landscape.
- Closing phalashruti
Auspicious tithis (notably dvādaśī and caturdaśī) are specified; after bathing, disciplined devotees gain salvific darśana of four golden forms (Varāha, Nārāyaṇa, Vāmana, Rāghava), presenting the tīrtha’s fruit as purification, protection, and dharmic re-stabilization of Pṛthivī’s realm.
Geographical context
Mathurā; Kalpagrāma; western direction (paścimā diś) associated with Varāha’s abiding; the Mathurā tīrtha network (māthurāṇāṃ tīrthānām).
Tirtha focus
- Primary TirthaAsikuṇḍa
- Associated RegionMathurā region (with Kalpagrāma as the immediate refuge-site and Varāha’s western abiding as directional sacrality)
- Pilgrimage MeritBathing and disciplined observance at Asikuṇḍa on prescribed lunar days yields extraordinary merit culminating in darśana of four golden divine forms; the tīrtha also functions as a corrective to adharmic force by reasserting protected access and sanctity across the Mathurā tīrtha-field.
Ritual instructions
- Primary RitualAsikuṇḍa-snāna with tithi-observance and darśana-oriented devotion (within a broader Mathurā cāturmāsya-style stay).
- BenefitPurification and merit culminating in auspicious vision of the four golden forms; restoration of dharmic balance through ānṛṇya-oriented pilgrimage; protection and harmonization of the sacred landscape by aligning royal/individual power with tīrtha sanctity.
The narrative frame
- VarāhaPṛthivī · Didactic tīrtha-māhātmya with moral admonition: protective, corrective, and landscape-centered (Pṛthivī stewardship).
The emotional journey
- Dominant RasaŚānta (with Vīra and Raudra as corrective subtones)
- Emotional ProgressionInquiry and reverence → moral unease and latent threat (Vimatī’s violence) → fear and supplication (tīrthas seeking refuge) → decisive divine intervention and humbling of arrogance → calm re-ordering of the sacred terrain and promise of liberative darśana.
Planning a pilgrimage
- Visit FeasibilityFeasible as a Mathurā-region tīrtha itinerary; Asikuṇḍa is best approached through a broader Mathurā sacred-circuit plan (multiple kuṇḍas/ghāṭas), with local guidance to identify the traditionally associated pond-site and its ritual protocol.
- Best SeasonKārttika and the cooler months (roughly October–March) for extended walking and bathing observances; align with dvādaśī/caturdaśī tithis for the chapter’s highlighted fruits.
- Modern Location NameMathura–Vrindavan region, Uttar Pradesh (India); Kalpagrāma is to be sought via local traditional identification within the wider Braj sacred geography.
- Related FestivalKārttika snāna season; Vaiṣṇava dvādaśī observances (e.g., prominent dvādaśī fast days) and local Braj tīrtha-bathing traditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The narrative frames tīrtha-yātrā and ritual action as a means of restoring dharmic balance: Vimatī is urged toward ānṛṇya (removal of obligations, especially toward the father/ancestors) and is checked when his power threatens sacred sites. Varāha’s intervention models protection of tīrthas as protection of Pṛthivī’s ordered landscape.
The text highlights dvādaśī and caturdaśī as key lunar days on which disciplined devotees (śraddadhānāḥ, jitendriyāḥ) may perceive the tīrtha’s fruits. It also mentions a four-month residence in Mathurā (caturvārṣikān māsān), indicating an extended observance period rather than a single-day rite.
Pṛthivī’s inquiry and Varāha’s response position sacred waters and tīrthas as stabilizing features of the terrestrial realm. The tīrthas themselves act as vulnerable agents seeking protection, and Varāha’s creation of a kuṇḍa by lifting earth (mṛttikā) symbolically reconfigures the landscape to re-establish safety, order, and regulated ritual access.
The chapter references King Sumati (a dhārmika ruler), his son King Vimatī, the sage Nārada as a moral catalyst, and Varāha as the protector figure. It also alludes to devarṣi-mediated establishment (devarṣi-vidhi-nirmita) and to four revered forms (Varāha, Nārāyaṇa, Vāmana, Rāghava) installed in the Mathurā tīrtha context.
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