Varaha Purana 137.18: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 18

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Devanagari script

एवं संदिश्य तं तत्र स राजा धर्मशास्त्रतः ।। गमनाय मतिं चक्रे क्षेत्रं सौकरवं प्रति ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 137.18

Transliteration

evaṁ saṁdiśya taṁ tatra sa rājā dharmaśāstrataḥ | gamanāya matiṁ cakre kṣetraṁ saukaravaṁ prati ||

Translation

Demikianlah, setelah memberi amanat kepadanya di sana, raja itu—berpandukan dharma-śāstra—menetapkan tekad untuk berangkat menuju kṣetra suci Saukarava.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• evam: thus

• saṁdiśya: having instructed/commanded

• tam: him

• tatra: there

• saḥ rājā: that king

• dharmaśāstrataḥ: according to dharma-śāstra / on dharma-legal grounds

• gamanāya: for going/departure

• matim: intention/decision

• cakre: made

• kṣetram: sacred field/region

• saukaravam: Saukarava

• prati: towards

Speaker

Narrator

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Dharma-śāstra Influence
• Pilgrimage Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It explicitly links pilgrimage movement with dharma-śāstra reasoning, reflecting how Purāṇic texts align sacred travel with normative ethical-legal discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

Saukarava kṣetra is named as the destination; further identification requires cross-textual comparison and regional toponymy studies.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Decision-making is presented as grounded in dharma-śāstra—i.e., reflective adherence to established norms—rather than impulse.