Varaha Purana 126.167 — Adhyaya 126, Shloka 167
The Greatness of Kubjāmraka: Raibhya’s Boon and the Teaching on the Sacred Tīrthas
तरन्ति मानवाः येन घोरं संसारसागरम् ॥ अन्यच्च ते प्रवक्ष्यामि देवि कुब्जाम्रके महत् ॥
taranti mānavā yena ghoraṃ saṃsārasāgaram || anyac ca te pravakṣyāmi devi kubjāmrake mahat ||
Dengan jalan itu manusia menyeberangi lautan samsara yang menggerunkan. Dan lagi, wahai Dewi, akan aku jelaskan kepadamu kisah agung mengenai Kubjāmraka.
Varāha (default dialogue frame: Instructor)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha instructs Bhū-devī on salvific efficacy of the taught practice/place, then transitions to a new sacred-site account (Kubjāmraka), sustaining the teacher–Earth dialogue."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"hopeful, seeking liberation-oriented guidance","key_question":"What means connected to these tīrthas enables beings to cross saṃsāra, and what is the greatness of Kubjāmraka?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Kubjāmraka","parikrama_context":"Introduces another major stop within the kṣetra’s pilgrimage itinerary; likely a named grove/āmra-vana locus suitable for visitation and circumambulation as part of Mathurā-maṇḍala yātrā.","krishna_connection":"Foreshadowing: sacred groves (vana/āmra) in Mathurā-Vraja later become strongly Kṛṣṇa-associated; the verse prepares a kṣetra-map that later Vaiṣṇavas read through Kṛṣṇa-līlā geography."}
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":"Varāha as cosmic rescuer becomes also the ferryman-teacher: tīrtha and bhakti function as ‘tāraṇa’ (crossing) across saṃsāra, echoing the avatāra’s archetype of lifting beings from the depths.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"The phrase ‘taranti… saṃsāra-sāgaram’ aligns with yajña as a crossing/bridge (setu): sacred acts and sacred places become the regulated passage from bondage to freedom under the Lord’s guidance.","vedantic_connection":"Soteriology: liberation is framed as transcendence of saṃsāra through upāya (means)—here implied as bhakti/tīrtha-sevā/śraddhā—grounded in the Lord as ultimate refuge (śaraṇya)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriology (tāraṇa-upadeśa)","core_concept":"Right engagement with the Lord’s sacred geography and teachings becomes a practical means to transcend saṃsāra.","practical_application":"Undertake pilgrimage with devotion and ethical discipline; listen to māhātmya, perform tīrtha-sevā, and internalize the teaching as a life-orientation toward liberation."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred Geography","Soteriology (Liberation motifs)","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: vana/grove or sacred site associated with mango trees (āmra)
Related Themes: 126.76.0-126.77.0 (tīrtha signs and identification leading to salvific claim)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha speaks to Bhū-devī with a gesture like offering a path across an ocean; in the distance a lush mango grove (Kubjāmraka) is shown as the next revealed sacred destination.","item_prompts":["symbolic ocean of saṃsāra","path/boat/bridge motif","Varāha teaching gesture","Bhū-devī receptive posture","mango grove with ripe fruit","pilgrims approaching a grove-shrine"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized waves as a band below, Varāha and Bhū-devī above in teaching pose, Kubjāmraka indicated by decorative mango trees and a small shrine, flat ornamental composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf haloed Varāha, Bhū-devī with rich ornaments, ocean motif as patterned band, mango grove rendered with jeweled greens, small shrine with gold accents labeled Kubjāmraka.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: serene spiritual scene, subtle symbolic ocean, detailed mango foliage, Varāha’s compassionate-instructive expression, Bhū-devī’s hopeful gaze.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical landscape with rolling blue waves transitioning into a green grove, delicate mango leaves and fruit, intimate dialogue foregrounded with soft colors."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"uplifting-contemplative","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"assuring, compassionate, with a forward-moving cadence into the next māhātmya (Kubjāmraka)"}
FAQs
It introduces a tīrtha-oriented narrative segment, typical of Purāṇic composition, where sacred place traditions are framed with liberation-oriented language (e.g., crossing saṃsāra).
Kubjāmraka is named; its precise modern identification varies in scholarship and typically requires correlation with regional toponyms and tīrtha lists.
The verse foregrounds a philosophical instruction: practices associated with sacred places are presented as aids for transcending worldly bondage (saṃsāra).
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