Varaha Purana 151.8 — Adhyaya 151, Shloka 8
The Sacred Greatness of Lohārgala
The ‘Iron-Bolt’ Tīrtha
तत्र लोहर्गले क्षेत्रे निवासो विहितः शुभः ॥ गुह्यं पञ्चदशायामं समन्तात्पञ्चयोजनम् ॥
tatra lohargale kṣetre nivāso vihitaḥ śubhaḥ | guhyaṁ pañcadaśāyāmaṁ samantāt pañca-yojanam ||
ທີ່ນັ້ນ ໃນເຂດສັກສິດ (kṣetra) ຊື່ ໂລຫາຣກະລະ (Lohārgala) ໄດ້ຈັດຕັ້ງທີ່ພັກອັນເປັນມົງຄຸນ. ສະຖານທີ່ນັ້ນເອີ້ນວ່າ “ລັບ”: ຍາວສິບຫ້າຢາມ (yāma) ແລະກວ້າງໄປທຸກທິດຫ້າໂຍຊະນະ.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"dialogue","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha identifies and measures a sacred kṣetra for Bhū Devī, emphasizing its hidden/secret character."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, mapping sacred space","key_question":"What is the nature, extent, and special status of the kṣetra where the rite is grounded?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Lohārgala-kṣetra (named; not specified as Mathurā-maṇḍala in given context)","parikrama_context":"Implicit: the measured extent suggests a circumambulatory sacred boundary, but parikramā is not explicitly stated","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ‘guhya’ kṣetra mirrors the hidden heart-space (guhā) where dharma ripens; sacred geography becomes an outer analogue of inner secrecy and protection of power.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Spatial measurement evokes yajña-vedi geometry (bounded sacred field), though no direct body-part mapping is stated.","vedantic_connection":"Kṣetra as both place and ‘field’ (kṣetra) of experience: sanctified boundaries support sattva and remembrance, enabling knowledge to arise in a protected domain."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"sacred-space theory","core_concept":"Sacred power is often preserved through concealment and boundary; dharma thrives within rightly delimited spaces.","practical_application":"Approach kṣetras with reverence for their maryādā (limits); maintain purity of conduct within sacred perimeters and treat the site as a living discipline, not a tourist locale."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Sacred topography"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: kṣetra/tīrtha with defined sacred perimeter
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa passages describing ‘guhya’ tīrthas and their parimāṇa (extent)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred topographic reveal: Lohārgala-kṣetra shown as a protected, auspicious settlement with an implied measured boundary.","item_prompts":["tīrtha landscape with shrine/āśrama dwellings","boundary markers or a circular perimeter hint","inscription-like label ‘Lohārgala’","sense of hidden valley or enclosed terrain"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: lush enclosed grove/valley, small shrine structures, decorative boundary motifs, Varāha indicating the place as if explaining a map to Bhū Devī.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central shrine icon with gold-leaf aura, stylized perimeter band around the kṣetra, minimal landscape, emphasis on ‘guhya-kṣetra’ sanctity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: detailed yet gentle landscape, neat āśrama buildings, subtle boundary stones, calm sacred atmosphere, explanatory gesture by Varāha.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: hidden valley composition, delicate architecture, clear spatial framing of the sacred field, narrative feel of ‘discovering’ a secret place."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"revelatory, descriptive, measured","suggested_raga":"Bihag","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"precise, cartographic clarity"}
FAQs
It offers a formal kṣetra-profile (name, auspicious status, dimensions), a common archival unit in māhātmya literature that can be compared across Purāṇic pilgrimage corpora.
Lohārgala-kṣetra is named. In modern scholarship, “Lohārgala/Lohargal” is often associated with a pilgrimage locality in Rajasthan (Alwar region), though identifications may vary by tradition and text.
The verse frames certain places as protected or ‘guhya’ (restricted), implying responsible approach to sacred landscapes and their boundaries.
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.