Varaha Purana 136.12: Adhyaya 136, Shloka 12
A Sūtra-like Manual of Expiations for Ritual Transgressions
परं कौतूहलं देव निखिलं वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ श्मशानं पुण्डरीकाक्ष ईश्वरेण प्रशंसितम् ॥
paraṃ kautūhalaṃ deva nikhilaṃ vaktum arhasi || śmaśānaṃ puṇḍarīkākṣa īśvareṇa praśaṃsitam ||
देवा, मुझे बहुत जानना है, पूरा बता दो। शिव जी ने श्मशान की तारीफ की है। आँखों में कमल जैसी शांति है, आप ही बताओ यह क्या है।
Pṛthivī (inquirer, implied continuation)
FAQs
It indicates how Purāṇic texts discuss liminal spaces (cremation grounds) not only as sites of impurity but also as philosophically and ritually meaningful locales.
No named cremation ground is specified; the reference is generic (śmaśāna).
The verse frames inquiry and explanation as a disciplined pursuit: curiosity (kautūhala) is directed toward understanding cultural practices and their rationale.
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