Varaha Purana 215.92: Adhyaya 215, Shloka 92
Description of the Māhātmya of Gokarṇeśvara and Jaleśvara (Śaileśvara) in the Śleṣmātaka Forest
Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Fruits)
तस्यैवोत्तरत्तस्तीर्थमपरं सिद्धसेवितम्॥ नाम्ना प्रान्तकपानीयं गुह्यं गुह्यकरक्षितम्॥
tasyaivottaratas tīrthamaparaṃ siddhasevitam || nāmnā prāntakapānīyaṃ guhyaṃ guhyakarakṣitam ||
tasyaivottaratastIrthamaparaM siddhasevitam || nAmnA prAntakapAnIyaM guhyaM guhyakarakShitam
उसके उत्तर तरफ़ एक और तीर्थ है। सिद्ध लोग वहाँ आते हैं। उसका नाम है प्रांतकपानीय। यह छुपा हुआ है और गुह्यक लोग इसकी हिफ़ाज़त करते हैं।
Sandhi Notes
- tasyaivottaratas = tasya eva uttarataḥ
- tīrthamaparaṃ = tīrtham aparam
- siddhasevitam = siddha-sevitam
Varāha
Some loci are ‘guhya’ and require purity, restraint, and right approach.
Approach such places with humility, non-violence, and ritual cleanliness; avoid exploitation/curiosity; seek guidance (guru/ācārya) when texts mark a site as guarded/secret.
The ‘secret’ tīrtha guarded by Guhyakas encodes the idea that sacred power is protected and accessed through worthiness—esoteric sanctity is not merely geographic but ethical/initiatory.
Guardianship parallels the protection of yajña (rakṣaṇa of rite) by mantra and deities; the tīrtha is like a hidden altar whose potency is preserved by divine custodians.
Suggests adhikāra (eligibility): higher spiritual resources are ‘guhya’ and unfold to the prepared mind, aligning with Upaniṣadic secrecy around brahma-vidyā.
Varāha Purāṇa mentions of Guhyakas/Yakṣa guardians in tīrtha narratives
FAQs
It preserves a directional micro-topography (‘north of that’) and a named water-site, showing how Purāṇic texts functioned as itinerary-like catalogues of sacred places with mythic custodians.
A tīrtha named Prāntakapānīya is placed ‘to the north’ of the previously mentioned site; modern identification is not determinable from this excerpt alone.
The verse emphasizes respectful approach to ‘secret’/protected heritage spaces, implying controlled access and reverence within the pilgrimage landscape.
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