Varaha Purana 137.162: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 162
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
अहो तीर्थप्रभावो वै त्वया प्रोक्तो महान्मम ॥ यस्य देव प्रभावेण तिर्यग्योनित्वमागतौ ॥ गृध्रश्चैव सृगाली च प्राप्तौ वै मानुषीं तनुम् ॥
aho tīrthaprabhāvo vai tvayā prokto mahān mama || yasya deva prabhāveṇa tiryagyonitvam āgatau || gṛdhraś caiva sṛgālī ca prāptau vai mānuṣīṃ tanum
Ah! Sungguh besar kuasa tīrtha suci yang telah engkau jelaskan kepadaku. Dengan pengaruh ilahi tempat suci itu, seekor burung hering dan seekor serigala-jakal betina—yang jatuh dalam kelahiran binatang—telah memperoleh tubuh manusia.
Pṛthivī (inquirer; default dialogue frame)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Bhūdevī directly praises Varāha’s explanation of a tīrtha’s power; relationally she is the inquirer receiving instruction."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"astonished and relieved/hopeful","key_question":"How can tīrtha-prabhāva transform destiny—purifying even those fallen into animal births and restoring higher gati?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Affirms tīrtha-sevā (reverence to sacred places) as a potent purifier affecting gati; even severe demerit can be mitigated through contact with divinely empowered sites.","karmic_consequence":"Following: uplift in birth/status and purification; neglect/disrespect: continued bondage and lower gati implied."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Tīrtha as a ‘crossing’ mirrors Varāha’s salvific function: lifting beings from lower strata (tiryagyoni) to higher order—like raising Earth from the depths.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None explicit; symbolic parallel is rescue/uplift rather than anatomical yajña-correspondence.","vedantic_connection":"Grace and saṃskāra: contact with sattva-charged loci (tīrtha) catalyzes inner purification; karma is real yet transformable through higher agency and right association."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-gati and grace through sacred geography","core_concept":"Merit can be intensified through divinely empowered places; transformation is possible even after severe downfall, indicating a compassionate moral architecture of the cosmos.","practical_application":"Undertake tīrtha-yātrā with faith and ethical preparation; pair pilgrimage with repentance, charity, and non-harm to stabilize the gained merit."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred Geography","Ethics","Afterlife & Merit (gati)"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: tīrtha / crossing-place
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 137 (tīrtha-mahātmya section immediately preceding this praise; the specific tīrtha likely named earlier)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhūdevī, hands folded, marvels as Varāha explains a sacred ford; in a side narrative, a vulture and a female jackal are shown transforming into human forms near the tīrtha waters.","item_prompts":["Varāha teaching","Bhūdevī in añjali","river/ford with steps","vulture and female jackal","transformation into human silhouettes","aura of sanctity over water"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha-Bhūdevī dialogue foreground; stylized river band; transformation shown in sequential mini-panels with strong outlines and sacred glow.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central deities with gold halos; tīrtha waters rendered with ornate patterning; transformation highlighted with gold accents around the redeemed humans.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: graceful figures, soft luminous water, narrative clarity in the metamorphosis, devotional mood in Bhūdevī’s expression.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: serene riverside landscape, delicate animals and emerging human figures, intimate devotional exchange between teacher and inquirer."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional wonder","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"reverent, bright with astonishment"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic literary motif: tīrtha-māhātmya passages that map sacred landscapes and articulate social memory through narratives of merit, purification, and rebirth.
The verse itself does not name a specific site; it refers generically to a tīrtha whose ‘prabhāva’ is being discussed within the Saukarava-kṣetra context of this chapter.
The passage emphasizes the transformative value attributed to sacred places and actions associated with them, framing moral causality (karma/phala) through the idea of spiritual uplift.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple 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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.