Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 167
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 16730 Shlokas

Adhyaya 167: The Glory of the Viśrānti Tīrtha and the Account of a Rākṣasa’s Liberation

Viśrānti-tīrtha-māhātmyaṃ (Rākṣasa-mokṣa-kathā)

Ethical-Discourse (Ācāra) and Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Pilgrimage Merit Transfer)

Varaha ji Prithvi ji ka sawal jawab dete hain ki rakhshas ne pehle Vishranti tirth ka naam kyun liya. Ujjayini mein ek brahman rehta tha jo puja, tirth snan aur sandhya sab chhod chuka tha. Wo paap karta tha, choron ki sangat rakhta tha, aur logon se cheen khaata tha. Raja ke logon ne use pakad liya, wo bhaaga aur andheri kunwan mein gir kar mar gaya. Usne rakhshas yoni pa li aur jungle mein rahne laga. Ek caravan aayi jise ek brahman rakhshas naashak mantra se bacha raha tha. Rakhshas ne brahman se khane ke liye bheek maangi aur apni kahani sunayi. Usne kaha ki main Mathura ke Vishranti tirth ka naam Vishnu mandir mein suna tha. Brahman ne use ek snan ka punya diya aur wo mukti pa gaya.

Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivī

Key Concepts

anācāra (social and ritual misconduct) as karmic cause of degradationgārhasthya as the sustaining āśrama and its ethical obligationstīrtha (Viśrānti) and snāna-phala (merit of bathing)mantra-protection against rākṣasas (rakṣoghna-mantra)puṇya-pariṇāma/puṇya-dāna (transfer or gifting of merit)mokṣa framed as release from a non-human state through ethical-ritual economy
Recitation with translationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 167

Shlokas in Adhyaya 167

Verse 1

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ शृणु देवि यथा संज्ञा विश्रान्तेः कीर्तिता पुरा ॥ राक्षसेन पुरा प्रोक्ता ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने ॥

Varaha bole, Devi suno. Vishranti ka naam pehle kaise pada, main batata hoon. Ek rakshas ne ek bade brahman ko bataya tha yeh baat.

Verse 2

पृथिव्युवाच ॥ किमर्थं राक्षसेनोक्ता संज्ञा विश्रान्तिसंज्ञिता ॥ किमर्थं पृष्टवान्विप्रः सर्वं कथय मे प्रभो ॥

Dharti ne poocha, Prabhu, woh rakshas ne jo naam bataya tha, usko Vishranti kyun kehte hain? Aur us brahman ne aisa kyun poocha? Mujhe sab bata do.

Verse 3

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ उज्जयिन्यामभूद्विप्रः सदाचारविवर्जितः ॥ न स पूजयते देवान्न स साधून् नमस्यति ॥

Varaha Bhagwan bole, Ujjain mein ek brahman rehta tha. Uska koi achha kaam nahi tha. Woh devtaon ki puja nahi karta tha. Achhe logon ko namaste bhi nahi karta tha.

Verse 4

पुण्यतीर्थं समासाद्य न च स्नानं करोति सः ॥ वेदवेदाङ्गरहितः परदाररतः सदा ॥

Jab woh kisi teerth par pahunchta tha, toh usme nahaata bhi nahi tha. Usne Veda padhe nahi the. Aur woh dusre aadmi ki biwi ke peeche hi laga rehta tha.

Verse 5

सन्ध्ये द्वे शयने चैव नित्यं मूढः स तिष्ठति ॥ न स देवानुष्यान्श्च पितॄन् पूजयते सदा ॥

Subah-sham ke time aur sone ke time bhi woh bewakoof ban ke pada rehta tha. Devtaon ki puja nahi, logon ko izzat nahi, apne purkho ko bhi yaad nahi karta tha.

Verse 6

पापाचाररतो नित्यं पापसङ्गः सुदुर्मतिः ॥ गार्हस्थ्यधर्ममाश्रित्य मोहितो वर्त्तते सदा ॥

Woh roz buri harkatein karta tha, buri sang mein rehta tha, uska dimaag kharaab tha. Ghar-baar ka bahana kar ke woh pagal ban ke jee raha tha.

Verse 7

गार्हस्थ्यं सर्वधर्माणां श्रेष्ठमुक्तं स्वयम्भुवा ॥ यावन्ति जन्तवः सर्वे यथा गोः सर्वतः स्थिताः ॥

Brahma ne khola ki grahasth jeevan sabse bada dharam hai. Jaise gaay sab jeevon ko paal ti hai, waise grahasth log sab ka dhyan rakhte hain.

Verse 8

यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः ॥ एवं गार्हस्थ्यमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः ॥

Jaise sab bacche maa ke sahare jeete hain. Waise hi sab log grahasth logon ke sahare jeete hain.

Verse 9

ततः स चौर्यं कुर्वाणः पापैः सह नराधमः ॥ स च रात्रौ द्रवन् लोकान् लब्धोऽसौ राजरक्षिभिः ॥

Phir woh bura aadmi choron ke saath mil kar chori karne laga. Raat ko woh bhaaga, lekin raja ke guard ne use pakad liya.

Verse 10

अन्धकूपे स पतितो घोररूपोऽवसत्तदा ॥ कदाचिदथ कार्येषु महान्सार्थ उपागतः ॥

Woh andhere gaddhe mein gir gaya aur wahan darr ke maare pada raha. Baad mein ek bada caravan wahan aaya kuch kaam se.

Verse 11

तेषां मध्ये द्विजः कश्चिद्रक्षां कृत्वा वसुन्धरे ॥ रक्षोघ्नेन च मन्त्रेण सर्वं सार्थं च रक्षति ॥

Unmein ek brahman ne sab ki hifazat ke liye puja ki. Usne ek mantra padha aur poore caravan ki raksha kar di.

Verse 12

तत्रागत्य च रक्षस्तु ब्राह्मणं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ राक्षस उवाच ॥ अहं दास्यामि ते विप्र यत्ते मनसि वर्तते ॥

Wahan pahunch ke rakshas ne brahman se kaha. Usne bola, main tumhe woh sab dunga jo tumhare dil mein hai. Jo tum chahoge, main poora kar dunga.

Verse 13

बहुकालेन संप्राप्तं भोजनं च यथेप्सितम् ॥ उत्तिष्ठ विप्र गच्छ त्वमन्यत्र शयनं कुरु ॥

Bahut time baad tumhara khana mil gaya jo tum chaahte the. Ab utho aur yahan se jaao. Kahin aur jaake so jaao.

Verse 14

येनाहं भक्षये सार्थं यावत्तृप्तिर्भवेन्मम ॥ राक्षसस्य वचः श्रुत्वा विप्रो वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

Rakshas ne socha, main is saarth ko kha jaunga jab tak pet nahi bharta. Brahman ne rakshas ki baat suni aur usne jawab diya.

Verse 15

एकः सार्थं प्रयातोऽहं नोत्सृजामि कथंचन ॥ तस्माद्राक्षस गच्छ त्वं सार्थं मम परिग्रहम् ॥

Brahman bola, main is saarth ke saath chal raha hoon. Main inhe kabhi chhodunga nahi. Isliye rakshas, tum meri taraf dekho. Mere upar haath uthao, in logon ko mat chhoona.

Verse 16

निरीक्षितुं न शक्तोऽसि मम मन्त्रबलेन हि ॥ राक्षस उवाच ॥ मम भक्ष्ये हते विप्र दोषस्तव भविष्यति ॥

Tum mujhe dekh bhi nahi sakte kyunki mere paas mantra ki shakti hai. Rakshas ne bola, agar mera khana mar gaya toh dosh tumhara hoga.

Verse 17

दयां कुरु त्वं विप्रर्षे भोजनं मम दीयताम् ॥ ततोऽपृच्छदसौ विप्रो राक्षसं दारुणं प्रति ॥

Rishi bolte hain, mujh par daya karo, mujhe khana de do. Phir us brahman ne us daravan rakshas se poocha.

Verse 18

केन त्वं कर्मदोषेण राक्षसत्वमुपागतः ॥ ततश्च कथयामास कथावृत्तं पुरातनम् ॥

Brahman ne poocha, kaisi galti ki tune jisse tu rakshas ban gaya? Tab usne purani kahani sunayi.

Verse 19

तस्य दुःखेन संयुक्तो विप्रोऽसौ वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ विप्र उवाच ॥ मित्रत्वे वर्तसे रक्षस्तव दास्यामि किं वद ॥

Brahman ko uske dukh par daya aayi. Usne kaha, tu mera dost hai, main madad karunga. Bol kya chahiye tujhe?

Verse 20

आत्मना चोपकारेण प्रियं किं करवाणि ते ॥ राक्षस उवाच ॥ ददासि यदि तद्विप्र यन्मे मनसि वर्तते ॥

Brahman ne kaha, main jo kar sakta hoon bata, tujhe kaise madad karu? Rakshas ne kaha, agar tu deta hai toh jo mere mann mein hai woh de de.

Verse 21

मथुरायां च यत्स्नातं कृतं विश्रान्तिसंज्ञके ॥ तच्च स्नानफलं देहि येन मुक्तिं व्रजाम्यहम् ॥

Rakshas ne kaha, Mathura mein tune jo snan kiya tha, uska phal mujhe de de. Usse main mukti paa sakun.

Verse 22

तेन दुःखेन संयुक्तो विप्रो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् ॥ विप्र उवाच ॥ कथं जानासि रक्षस्त्वं तीर्थं विश्रान्तिसंज्ञकम् ॥

Dukh mein doob ke brahman ne bola. Usne rakshas se poocha, are tumhe kaise pata hai Vishranti naam ka tirth? Tum rakshas ho, yeh baat tumhe kaise mil gayi?

Verse 23

कथं च संज्ञा तस्याभूत्कथय त्वं हि राक्षस ॥ राक्षस उवाच ॥ पुरी उज्जयिनी नाम्ना तस्यां वासो हि मे सदा ॥

Brahman ne aur poocha, yeh naam kaise pada? Batao mujhe. Rakshas ne jawab diya. Mera ghar Ujjayini shahar mein tha. Main wahi rehta tha.

Verse 24

कस्मिंश्चिदथ कालेन गतोऽहं विष्णुमन्दिरम् ॥ तस्याग्रे तिष्ठते विप्रो वाचको वेदपारगः ॥

Ek baar main Vishnu ke mandir gaya. Wahan ek brahman khada tha jo Vedon ka bahut bada gyani tha. Woh logon ko padhaya karta tha.

Verse 25

विश्रान्तितीर्थमाहात्म्यं श्रावयन्स दिने दिने ॥ तस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मम भक्तिर्हृदिस्थिता ॥

Woh brahman roz Vishranti tirth ki baat sunaya karta tha. Main sunta raha aur dheere dheere mera dil bhakti se bhar gaya.

Verse 26

सा संज्ञा च श्रुता तत्र विश्रान्तेश्च मयाऽनघ ॥ वासुदेवो महाबाहुर्जगत्स्वामी जनार्दनः ॥

Wahan maine yeh bhi suna ki iska naam Vishranti kaise pada. Yeh jagah Vasudev se judi hai. Vasudev, jisko Janardan bhi kehte hain, sari duniya ke malik hain.

Verse 27

विश्रामं कुरुते तत्र तेन विश्रान्तिसंज्ञिता ॥ राक्षसस्य वचः श्रुत्वा विप्रो वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

Woh wahin aaram karta hai, isliye us jagah ko Vishranti kehte hain. Rakshas ki baat sun ke brahman ne jawab diya.

Verse 28

पलायमानः स परमन्धकूपेऽपतत्तदा ॥ मृतोऽसौ पतितस्तत्र राक्षसत्वमुपागतः ॥

Woh bhaag raha tha aur ek kaale kuan mein gir gaya. Wahan mar ke woh rakshas ban gaya.

Verse 29

अनाचारादि हेतोश्च राक्षसत्वमुपागतः ॥ आत्मानं कथयामास विप्राग्रे स यथायथम् ॥

Apne bure kaam ke karan woh rakshas bana. Brahman ke saamne usne apni poori kahani bata di.

Verse 30

एकस्नानस्य हि फलं तव दत्तं च राक्षस ॥ विप्रे चेति उक्तमात्रे च मोक्षावासमवाप सः ॥

Brahman ne kaha, ek baar snan karne ka phal tumhe mil gaya hai, rakshas. Itna bolte hi woh mukt ho gaya.

Inside Adhyaya 167

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Pṛthivī asks Varāha why the sacred designation “Viśrānti” was first uttered by a rākṣasa and how such a naming became authoritative as tīrtha-māhātmya.

  2. Central event

    Varāha narrates an etiological account: a brāhmaṇa in Ujjayinī lives in anācāra—neglecting sandhyā, worship, tīrtha-bathing, and duties to devas/atithis/pitṛs—falls into theft and bad company, is pursued by royal guards, dies fleeing into a dark well, and is reborn as a rākṣasa. Later, a merchant caravan is protected by a brāhmaṇa using a rakṣoghna-mantra; the rākṣasa approaches, bargains for food, confesses his karmic cause (anācāra), and requests the merit of a single bath at Mathurā’s Viśrānti tīrtha, whose name he learned by hearing its praise at a Viṣṇu temple.

  3. Climax resolution

    The protecting brāhmaṇa verbally donates (puṇya-dāna) the snāna-phala of one Viśrānti bath to the rākṣasa; the rākṣasa is immediately released from the rākṣasa-state and attains liberation, validating both the tīrtha’s potency and the efficacy of merit-transfer grounded in compassion and right speech.

Geographical context

Ujjayinī (Ujjain); Mathurā; Viṣṇu-mandira (temple setting, unspecified within Ujjayinī); an “andhakūpa” (dark well) as the death-site motif within the Ujjayinī episode.

Tirtha focus

  • Primary TirthaViśrānti Tīrtha (Mathurā)
  • Associated RegionMathurā (Brajamaṇḍala)
  • Pilgrimage MeritA single bath (eka-snānaphala) at Viśrānti is portrayed as exceptionally potent—capable of being gifted by speech to another being and effecting release from a degraded non-human birth; the tīrtha’s sanctity is tied to Vāsudeva/Janārdana’s “resting” (viśrāma) there, grounding the name “Viśrānti.”

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualViśrānti-tīrtha snāna (sacred bath) with puṇya-dāna (verbal gifting of the bath’s merit)
  • BenefitPurification and accrual of puṇya through tīrtha-snāna; the merit can be compassionately transferred to relieve another’s suffering; the narrative’s apex benefit is liberation from a rākṣasa-state, illustrating the combined force of tīrtha-māhātmya, right intention, and puṇya-dāna.

The narrative frame

  • VarāhaPṛthivī · Didactic-etiological and corrective: a moral warning against anācāra paired with a compassionate demonstration of repair through tīrtha devotion and merit-gifting.

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaŚānta (with strong Bhayānaka and Karuṇā movements)
  • Emotional ProgressionMoral unease at anācāra → fear and darkness in the flight/death-and-rebirth sequence → tension during the caravan encounter → compassion and ethical clarity in confession and alms → serenity and uplift in the liberation through puṇya-dāna and tīrtha-glory.

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityHigh: Mathurā is a major pilgrimage city with established access; Viśrānti/Viśrānti-ghāṭ traditions are locally identifiable, though exact textual coordinates may vary by local mapping of ghāṭs and kundas.
  • Best SeasonOctober–March (cooler months for Braj/Mathurā travel and river/ghāṭ visits)
  • Modern Location NameMathura, Uttar Pradesh (Viśrānti Ghāṭ/Viśrānti area traditions)
  • Related FestivalKārttika month observances in Braj; Janmāṣṭamī season in Mathurā (city-wide Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa focus aligns with the chapter’s Janārdana-centered tīrtha framing).

Frequently Asked Questions

The chapter frames anācāra (neglect of basic religious-social duties such as sandhyā, respect for elders/ancestors, and avoidance of theft) as a karmic cause of severe downfall, while presenting gārhasthya as a foundational social ecology that sustains other life-ways. It also models a reparative logic: hearing tīrtha-māhātmya generates devotion, and merit (snāna-phala) may be donated to alleviate another being’s suffering, culminating in release from a harmful state.

No explicit tithi, lunar month, or seasonal timing is specified. The text only notes regular daily observances (sandhyā) and generic temporal markers such as “at night” (rātrau) and “daily” (dinedine) in relation to hearing the tīrtha’s praise.

Although not an explicit ecology passage, the Varāha–Pṛthivī pedagogical frame supports an environmental-ethics reading: gārhasthya is described as a sustaining matrix for all beings (analogies of creatures relying on a mother/cow), implying that orderly household conduct underwrites social stability and resource continuity. The tīrtha-bathing motif further encodes landscapes (water-sites) as regulated, value-bearing commons whose proper use is tied to moral order.

No dynastic lineage or named royal house is given. The narrative references institutional figures: rāja-rakṣibhiḥ (royal guards), a vedapāraga/vācaka brāhmaṇa at a Viṣṇu temple, and a merchant caravan (sārtha). The divine figure explicitly named is Vāsudeva/Janārdana (Viṣṇu) as the one who “rests” (viśrāma) at the tīrtha, providing the etymological basis for the name Viśrānti.

Ask anything about Adhyaya 167 of the Varaha Purana

Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.

Not sure where to start?

A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.

Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app

Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Continue reading in the Vedapath app

Open in App
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play