Varaha Purana 164.9: Adhyaya 164, Shloka 9
The Efficacy of Circumambulating Annakūṭa
Govardhana
Uttara Bhāga · Govardhana–Mānasa-Gaṅgā–Haridarśana (Sacred Geography of Vraja)
न तस्य पुनरावृत्तिर्देवि सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते॥ स्नात्वा मानसगङ्गायां दृष्ट्वा गोवर्धने हरिम्॥
na tasya punar-āvṛttir devi satyaṃ bravīmi te || snātvā mānasa-gaṅgāyāṃ dṛṣṭvā govardhane harim
na tasya punarAvRRittirdevi satyaM bravImi te || snAtvA mAnasaga~NgAyAM dRRiShTvA govarddhane harim
देवी, मैं तुम्हे सच बताता हूँ, उसको वापस नहीं आना पड़ता। मानस गंगा में नहाके और गोवर्धन पर हरि को देखके, वो मुक्त हो जाता है।
Sandhi Notes
- पुनरावृत्तिः → पुनः + आवृत्तिः (र्-सन्धि)
- आवृत्तिर्देवि → आवृत्तिः + देवि
- मानसगङ्गायां → मानस-गङ्गायाम्
Varāha
Relieved and trusting; seeking certainty about mokṣa/no-return through pilgrimage
Which Vraja acts guarantee apunarāvṛtti (no return), and what are the decisive tīrthas/darśanas?
Darśana of Hari in a supremely charged kṣetra, joined with purificatory snāna, can culminate in apunarāvṛtti—grace mediated through place and devotion.
Undertake Govardhana yātrā with reverence: bathe at Mānasī Gaṅgā, seek Hari’s darśana, maintain purity of conduct and mind during pilgrimage.
Direct address to 'Devi' (Bhū-devī), giving a solemn assurance ('satyam bravīmi te') about the no-return fruit of Vraja tīrthas.
Bathe in Mānasī Gaṅgā and take darśana of Hari at Govardhana; this yields apunarāvṛtti.
Observance grants 'no return' (mokṣa/parama-gati); neglect misses the exceptional Vraja-merit leading to continued saṃsāra.
Explicit: 'Hari upon Govardhana' aligns with Kṛṣṇa-Govardhana tradition and Vraja darśana.
Varāha Purāṇa 164.12 (Annakūṭa parikramā and calendrics)
FAQs
It provides Purāṇic testimony for the sacralization of the Govardhana landscape and associated waters (Mānasī Gaṅgā), supporting the development of place-centered pilgrimage networks.
Govardhana (in the Vraja/Mathurā region) and Mānasī Gaṅgā, a well-known sacred waterbody associated with Govardhana in later pilgrimage traditions.
The verse emphasizes disciplined pilgrimage acts—ritual bathing and reverential seeing (darśana)—as transformative practices framed as ending ‘return’ (punarāvṛtti).
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