Varaha Purana 156.10: Adhyaya 156, Shloka 10
The Manifest Sacred Landscape of Mathurā: Merits of Vatsakrīḍanaka, Bhāṇḍīraka, Vṛndāvana, Keśītīrtha, and the Sūrya-Tīrthas
तीर्थं शतगुणं पुण्यं यत्र केशी निपातितः ॥ केश्यः शतगुणं पुण्यं यत्र विश्रमते हरिः ॥
tīrthaṃ śataguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ yatra keśī nipātitaḥ || keśyaḥ śataguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ yatra viśramate hariḥ ||
Tīrtha itu beroleh pahala kebajikan seratus kali ganda di tempat Keśī dijatuhkan. Dan Keśī-tīrtha itu juga beroleh pahala seratus kali ganda di tempat Hari bersemayam untuk beristirahat.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"attentive, curious (implied)","key_question":"Which tīrtha in Mathurā is exceptionally meritorious, and what makes it ‘hundredfold’ in fruit?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Keśī-tīrtha (on the Yamunā at Vṛndāvana/Mathurā region, associated with Keśī-vadha)","parikrama_context":"Implicit: Keśī-tīrtha is a key station within Vraja/Mathurā tīrtha-yātrā and parikramā itineraries, though not explicitly stated here.","krishna_connection":"Explicit: Keśī’s downfall is a Kṛṣṇa-līlā; ‘Hari rests’ evokes Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu’s presence sanctifying the ford."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theology of sacred place (presence + līlā)","core_concept":"Tīrtha potency intensifies where Bhagavān’s līlā occurred and where his abiding presence is remembered; place becomes a conduit for bhakti and puṇya.","practical_application":"Visit Keśī-tīrtha with līlā-smaraṇa (remembrance of Keśī-vadha) and Hari-bhāva; perform simple acts (snāna, japa) with devotion."}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Cultural History","Geography"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: tīrtha (river ford/ghāṭ)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 156.12–13 (special distinction and ritual fruits at Keśī-tīrtha)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Yamunā ford identified as Keśī-tīrtha: the aftermath/commemoration of Keśī’s fall, with Hari (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu) resting by the riverbank; pilgrims perceive the place’s multiplied sanctity.","item_prompts":["Yamunā river with ghāṭ steps","marker shrine reading ‘Keśī-tīrtha’","Kṛṣṇa/Hari seated in repose under a tree","distant suggestion of the demon Keśī (horse-form) subdued (symbolic/miniature)","pilgrims offering water/flowers"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Kṛṣṇa in calm repose by stylized Yamunā ghāṭ; symbolic Keśī motif in background; saturated colors and ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Hari resting, gold-leaf aura; Yamunā ghāṭ and small Keśī emblem; heavy jewelry and embossed ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant Kṛṣṇa figure with soft modeling; detailed ghāṭ architecture; subdued Keśī reference; devotional ambience.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical riverscape, Kṛṣṇa under kadamba, small shrine/ghāṭ; narrative vignette of Keśī-vadha hinted in a corner."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional wonder (bhakti-adbhuta)","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"affirmative, slightly emphatic on ‘śataguṇaṃ puṇyam’"}
FAQs
It shows a comparative valuation of sites using narrative memory (the Keśī episode), a common Purāṇic method for ranking pilgrimage locations.
Keśī-tīrtha (or a Keśī-associated site) is referenced; later traditions often connect this with the Vraja sacred landscape.
The verse encourages discerning engagement with heritage sites by presenting a graded system of merit tied to remembered events.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.