Varaha Purana 164.45: Adhyaya 164, Shloka 45
The Efficacy of Circumambulating Annakūṭa
Govardhana
इन्द्रध्वजमिति ख्यातं तीर्थं चैवातिमुक्तिदम् ॥ तत्र स्नाता दिवं यान्ति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः ॥
indradhvajam iti khyātaṃ tīrthaṃ caivātimuktidam || tatra snātā divaṃ yānti ye mṛtās te 'punarbhavāḥ ||
Tīrtha ini masyhur dengan nama “Indradhvaja”, suatu tempat suci yang menganugerahkan pembebasan yang amat luhur. Sesiapa yang mandi suci di sana akan naik ke syurga; dan sesiapa yang wafat di sana dikatakan tidak kembali lagi, yakni tidak mengalami kelahiran semula.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Indradhvaja-tīrtha","krishna_connection":"Indirect: a Vraja/Mathurā tīrtha whose liberation-claims sacralize Kṛṣṇa’s broader landscape; no explicit Kṛṣṇa act stated here."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"Bathing at Indradhvaja-tīrtha grants exceptional mokṣa; death there is declared ‘apunarbhava’ (no rebirth).","karmic_consequence":"Snāna yields svarga-gati; dying there yields apunarbhava as stated; disrespect or impure conduct undermines the intended tīrtha-phala (implied by tīrtha-ethics)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Soteriology of place and final remembrance","core_concept":"Certain kṣetras are portrayed as karmic accelerators: contact (snāna) and final moment (maraṇa) are framed as decisive for gati.","practical_application":"Cultivate remembrance and purity when visiting such sites; treat the tīrtha as preparation for the ‘final exam’ of consciousness—steady mind, devotion, and non-harm."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: tīrtha (sacred ford)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa Mathurā-māhātmya: other ‘apunarbhava’ tīrtha declarations (parallel phala verses nearby)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred ford named Indradhvaja: a river crossing with a prominent banner/pole (dhvaja) associated with Indra; pilgrims bathe, and a luminous path upward symbolizes svarga/apunarbhava.","item_prompts":["river ford (tīrtha)","tall dhvaja/pole with banner","bathing pilgrims","temple marker stone","subtle upward light/ladder motif for liberation"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic dhvaja dominating the ford; rhythmic bathing figures; stylized celestial ascent motif in the sky; saturated sacred palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold-leaf dhvaja and arch motifs; river rendered as patterned bands; celestial realm hinted with gilded aura above.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: detailed dhvaja cloth texture, refined ghāṭa stones; soft glow suggesting ‘atimukti’; dignified pilgrim expressions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: scenic river crossing with banner fluttering; small figures bathing; airy sky with symbolic ascent; crisp natural setting."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Elevated, proclamatory, awe-tinged","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, resonant, concluding with solemn assurance"}
FAQs
It exemplifies the Purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmya genre, where locations are encoded as cultural heritage sites through narratives of merit, afterlife benefit, and soteriological promise.
A tīrtha called “Indradhvaja” is named; the excerpt alone does not provide sufficient coordinates for a secure modern identification.
The verse promotes tīrtha-practice (ritual bathing and pilgrimage) as a culturally sanctioned means of purification and liberation within the text’s moral framework.
Ask anything about this verse
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