Varaha Purana 151.63: Adhyaya 151, Shloka 63
The Sacred Greatness of Lohārgala
The ‘Iron-Bolt’ Tīrtha
तत्र स्नानं तु कुर्वीत द्वादशाहोषितो नरः ॥ मोदते रुद्रलोकेषु रुद्रकन्याभिरावृतः
tatra snānaṃ tu kurvīta dvādaśāhoṣito naraḥ || modate rudra-lokeṣu rudra-kanyābhir āvṛtaḥ
そこにて、十二日滞在した者は聖なる沐浴を行うべし。彼はルドラの諸世界において歓喜し、ルドラの乙女たちに囲まれる。
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"What is the prescribed practice at that tīrtha (bathing after twelve days), and what loka-fruit does it yield?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Maheśvara-kuṇḍa (implied by ‘tatra’)"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"After a twelve-day stay, one should bathe at the tīrtha; the merit grants joy in Rudra-worlds with Rudra’s maidens.","karmic_consequence":"Following yields Rudra-loka enjoyment; omission forfeits that specific loka-fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Dvādaśāha-vāsa-snāna (twelve-day stay with sacred bath)","tithi_month":"Not specified (site-based duration observance)","promised_fruit":"Delight in Rudra-lokas, attended by Rudra-kanyās."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The twelve-day cycle evokes completeness (dvādaśa as solar/ritual fullness); bathing signifies inner cleansing that aligns the practitioner with a Rudra-sattva suitable for Rudra-loka.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Snāna functions like ritual purification before entering the ‘deva-sadas’; the tīrtha becomes the consecrating vessel enabling loka-eligibility.","vedantic_connection":"Heavenly enjoyment is a karmaphala within saṃsāra; the verse implicitly distinguishes bhoga in Rudra-loka from the higher ‘my world’ promised elsewhere in the sequence."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-phala mapping","core_concept":"Specific, disciplined acts at specific sacred loci yield correspondingly specific results; purity and perseverance are emphasized.","practical_application":"Undertake the stay with restraint (brahmacarya, ahiṃsā, satya) and complete the concluding bath as the capstone of the observance."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Cosmology","Sacred Geography"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: śṛṅgāra
Type: kuṇḍa/tīrtha
Related Themes: 151.68.0; 151.72.0
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim completing a twelve-day stay bathes in the sacred pond; the scene transitions to Rudra-loka where he is welcomed among Rudra’s maidens.","item_prompts":["pilgrim bathing at dawn","water ripples and lotuses","temple/shrine on the bank","celestial realm with Rudra-loka motifs (trident emblems, ash-white glow)","attendant Rudra-kanyās with garlands"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: two-register composition—lower: snāna at kuṇḍa; upper: Rudra-loka with ash-toned aura and graceful attendants; bold outlines, ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gilded Rudra-loka panel with trident motifs; central devotee figure; lower panel with the kuṇḍa; heavy gold embossing on ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant bath scene with soft light; ethereal upper realm with subtle iconographic cues; refined facial expressions and textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: miniature narrative with a river-pond bath in foreground and a cloud-borne Rudra-loka vignette above; delicate pastel palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ritualistic, gently celebratory","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, auspicious"}
FAQs
It demonstrates the Purāṇic pattern of quantifying pilgrimage observances (e.g., twelve-day stays) and associating them with specific cosmological rewards.
The implied location is Maheśvara-kuṇḍa from the preceding verse; this verse continues the same tīrtha context.
The verse reinforces disciplined observance over time (dvādaśāha residence) as the central practical instruction.
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