Varaha Purana 71.29 — Adhyaya 71, Shloka 29
Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account
इयं गौरमृता ब्रह्मन् मूर्च्छितेव व्यवस्थिताः । गङ्गाजलप्लुता चेयमुत्थास्यति न संशयः ॥ ७१.२९ ॥
iyaṃ gauramṛtā brahman mūrcchiteva vyavasthitā | gaṅgājalaplutā ceyam utthāsyati na saṃśayaḥ || 71.29 ||
おお婆羅門よ、この牝牛は気絶したかのように横たわり、死んだように見える。だがガンガーの水を注がれ、あるいは浸されれば、必ずや再び起き上がる—疑いはない。
Varāha (default speaker within the Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Gaṅgā (as tīrtha; not specifically Mathurā-maṇḍala here)","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Gaṅgā-water purification can revive/restore what appears defiled or dead; tīrtha-jala is presented as a decisive purifier in the context of go-vadha.","karmic_consequence":"Contact with Gaṅgā is asserted to remove impurity and reverse the consequence (the cow rises); neglect leaves the condition unchanged and impurity unresolved."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha’s speech frames tīrtha (Gaṅgā) as a manifest channel of cosmic purification—where dharma is restored through sacred waters, echoing the Purāṇic idea that the divine sustains the world via tīrthas.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Purification-by-water parallels yajña’s consecratory sprinkling (prokṣaṇa); Gaṅgā-jala functions like a universal prokṣaṇī in the cosmic rite of restoration.","vedantic_connection":"Sacred water symbolizes śuddhi (inner purification) and the possibility of renewal; the ‘revival’ motif points to grace (anugraha) overriding apparent finality when aligned with dharma."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"tīrtha-śakti and restorative dharma","core_concept":"Purification is not merely symbolic: sacred means (tīrtha, mantra, prāyaścitta) are portrayed as efficacious restorers of order and life.","practical_application":"When confronted with grave fault/impurity, undertake concrete śuddhi practices (tīrtha-snāna/prokṣaṇa, prescribed expiation) with faith and discipline."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred Geography","Purification Rites","Cultural Heritage Sites","Ecological Narratives"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: sacred river / purification site
Related Themes: 71.71.28 (prāyaścitta request)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cow lies motionless; attendants or sages sprinkle or immerse her with Gaṅgā water; the moment is charged with certainty of revival as a divine assurance is spoken.","item_prompts":["cow lying as if dead","water pot (kalaśa) labeled Gaṅgā-jala","sprinkling gesture (prokṣaṇa)","riverbank or symbolic Gaṅgā waves","sages witnessing with awe"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic prokṣaṇa moment, stylized river waves, cow rendered with dignity, witnesses in composed wonder, deep reds/ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: iconic Gaṅgā motif with gold-leaf river patterns, cow central, kalaśa highlighted in gold, figures with halos, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: soft luminous water effects, detailed kalaśa and droplets, gentle awe on faces, refined naturalism.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical riverbank scene, delicate blue stream, cow rising subtly, minimal props, emphasis on miracle through gesture and spacing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"assured-wondrous","suggested_raga":"Megh Malhār","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"confident, clear, uplifting"}
FAQs
It exemplifies a common Purāṇic literary motif in which the Gaṅgā’s waters are presented as a powerful agent of purification and restoration, reflecting the cultural centrality of riverine sacred geography in early medieval Sanskrit traditions.
The verse explicitly identifies the Gaṅgā (Ganges). In modern scholarly identification, it refers to the Ganges river system of North India, widely attested across Purāṇic and epigraphic sources.
The passage foregrounds the cultural idea of water as a restorative and purificatory medium; in an archival, non-prescriptive framing, it supports themes of reverence for life and the conservation-worthy status of major river systems as heritage landscapes.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.