Varaha Purana 175.10: Adhyaya 175, Shloka 10
The Sanctity of the Kṛṣṇagaṅgā Pilgrimage-Ford and the Account of the Brahmin Vasu’s Daughter
Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha–Māhātmya / Local lineages and sacred sites
प्रत्यक्षं कृष्णतीर्थे तु पाञ्चाल्यकुलतन्तुना। पाञ्चाल्योऽथ द्विजः कश्चिन्नाम्ना वसुरिति श्रुतः॥
pratyakṣaṃ kṛṣṇatīrthe tu pāñcālyakulatantunā | pāñcālyo 'tha dvijaḥ kaścin nāmnā vasur iti śrutaḥ
pratyakShaM kRRiShNatIrthe tu pAMchAlyakulatantunA| pAMchAlyo.atha dvijaH kashchinnAmnA vasuriti shrutaH
कृष्ण तीर्थ में एक ब्राह्मण रहता था। उसका नाम वसु था। वो पांचाल कुल से था और सब उसको जानते थे।
Sandhi Notes
- पाञ्चाल्योऽथ = पाञ्चाल्यः + अथ
- कश्चिन्नाम्ना = कश्चित् + नाम्ना
- वसुरिति = वसुः + इति
Varāha to Pṛthivī
Curious, mapping sacred places through narrative
Who are the persons connected to this tīrtha, and how do lineage and place together generate tīrtha-prabhāva (sacred efficacy)?
Sacred geography is preserved through named persons and lineages; remembrance (smaraṇa) sustains dharma across regions and migrations.
When visiting tīrthas, learn and transmit their associated lineages/stories; treat place-names and family traditions as vehicles of cultural continuity.
The toponym ‘Kṛṣṇa-tīrtha’ can evoke Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa sanctity, but the verse itself uses it as a pilgrimage-site marker without explicit Kṛṣṇa-līlā foreshadowing.
Varāha Purāṇa: tīrtha-kathā narrative chain around Kṛṣṇa-tīrtha and the figure Vasu (contextual sequence in adhyāya 175)
FAQs
It exemplifies Purāṇic narrative technique: anchoring moral or ritual stories in named tīrthas and identifiable regional identities (Pāñcāla), preserving cultural memory of place and lineage.
Kṛṣṇatīrtha is named; its precise modern identification varies by regional tradition and requires manuscript-context comparison.
The verse primarily establishes narrative provenance (person and place); its ethical instruction is implicit—locating exemplary conduct within recognized lineages and sacred geographies.
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