Varaha Purana 216.1 — Adhyaya 216, Shloka 1
The Sacred Account of Gokarṇa, Śṛṅgeśvara, and Related Tīrthas
अथ गोकर्णशृङ्गेश्वरादिमाहात्म्यम् ॥ ब्रह्मोवाच ॥ तस्मात्स्थानादपक्रान्ते त्र्यम्बके मृगरूपिणि ॥ अन्योन्यं मन्त्रयित्वा तु मया सह सुरोत्तमाः ॥
atha gokarṇaśṛṅgeśvarādi-māhātmyam || brahmovāca || tasmāt sthānād apakrānte tryambake mṛgarūpiṇi || anyonyaṁ mantrayitvā tu mayā saha surottamāḥ ||
ഇപ്പോൾ ഗോകർണ്ണ-ശൃംഗേശ്വരാദി സ്ഥലങ്ങളുടെ മഹാത്മ്യം ആരംഭിക്കുന്നു. ബ്രഹ്മാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—മൃഗരൂപം ധരിച്ച ത്ര്യമ്പകൻ ആ സ്ഥാനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പിരിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ, ദേവോത്തമർ എനിക്കൊപ്പം പരസ്പരം ആലോചിച്ചു.
Brahmā
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Gokarṇa; Śṛṅgeśvara"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"itihāsa-structured sanctification","core_concept":"Sacred places are anchored in divine events; narrative memory (smṛti) becomes a vehicle of sanctity.","practical_application":"Approach kṣetra narratives as guides for reverence and right conduct at holy sites—listening (śravaṇa) as a form of pilgrimage."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Mythic Narrative"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: kṣetra/temple-region
Related Themes: Beginning of Gokarṇa–Śṛṅgeśvara māhātmya (subsequent verses in adhyāya 216)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brahmā narrates as Tryambaka departs in the form of a deer; Brahmā and the foremost gods gather in counsel, setting the stage for the kṣetra-māhātmya.","item_prompts":["Śiva/Tryambaka as a deer moving away","Brahmā with four faces seated/standing","assembly of devas in discussion","forest-edge or kṣetra landscape","sense of narrative ‘chapter opening’"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized deer-form Tryambaka, Brahmā and devas in formal council, rich reds/greens, clear narrative staging.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Brahmā and devas with gold ornamentation, deer-form highlighted with gold accents, ornate frame suggesting a ‘māhātmya’ panel.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined council scene, detailed crowns and garments, subdued background landscape, emphasis on dignified gestures of consultation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: forested hillside with a deer departing, gods in a small gathering under trees, delicate lines and soft colors conveying transition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative-invocation","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"authoritative, story-telling, slightly solemn"}
FAQs
It frames a tīrtha-māhātmya segment, a genre used in Purāṇic literature to map cultural memory onto specific landscapes through narrative and etymology.
Gokarṇa is named explicitly; in scholarship it is commonly associated with the coastal region of present-day Karnataka (India), known for its tīrtha traditions.
The verse emphasizes collective deliberation (mantraṇa) among responsible agents before acting—an implicit model of prudent decision-making.
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