Varaha Purana 179.30: Adhyaya 179, Shloka 30

Enumeration of Ritual Offenses and Their Expiations; The Sacred Merit of Saukara and Mathurā Pilgrimage

Pūrva Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Mathurā as supreme destination)

Devanagari script

गतिरन्वेषणीयानां मथुरा परमा गतिः ॥ कुब्जाम्रके सौकरे च मथुरायां विशेषतः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 179.30

Transliteration

gatir anveṣaṇīyānāṁ mathurā paramā gatiḥ || kubjāmrake saukare ca mathurāyāṁ viśeṣataḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

जो लोग धरम ढूँढ़ते हैं उनके लिए मथुरा सबसे बड़ी जगह है। कुब्जाम्रक और सौकर में खास करके मथुरा में भगवान मिलते हैं।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• गतिः: goal; refuge; course
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्वेषणीयानाम्: of those who are to be sought / seekers
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थ (to be sought)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of those)
• Root: अन्वेषणीय (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण from √इष्/√एष्? via अन्वेषण)

• मथुरा: Mathurā
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)

• परमा: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)

• गतिः: goal; refuge
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/predicate-noun)
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)

• कुब्जाम्रके: in Kubjāmraka (place)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक; समासः (कुब्ज + आम्रक)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Root: कुब्जाम्रक (प्रातिपदिक)

• सौकरे: in Saukara (place)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Root: सौकर (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• मथुरायाम्: in Mathurā
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)

• विशेषतः: especially; in particular
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
• Role: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• गतिरन्वेषणीयानां = गतिः + अन्वेषणीयानाम्

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Tīrtha-kṣetra / heritage sacred sites

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious, receptive

What she asks

Which place is the highest destination for seekers, and which specific sites in Mathurā are especially efficacious?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Soteriology via sacred space (kṣetra-māhātmya)

Subjects

GeographyHeritage Sites

Core idea

Certain kṣetras function as concentrated supports for liberation-oriented pursuit; Mathurā is presented as the apex destination.

In practice

Undertake darśana and disciplined pilgrimage to Mathurā, prioritizing named sites (Kubjāmraka, Saukara) as focal stations.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Varāha, as instructor, extols Bhūmi’s sacred geography by declaring Mathurā the supreme gati for seekers.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a micro-topography of pilgrimage by naming specific locales (Kubjāmraka, Saukara), valuable for correlating textual sacred geography with regional traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

Mathurā (modern Mathura, Uttar Pradesh) is explicit; Kubjāmraka and Saukara appear as internal sacred-place names requiring cross-textual and local-historical identification.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames pilgrimage as a purposeful search (anveṣaṇa), emphasizing intentionality in visiting culturally significant places rather than mere travel.