Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 168
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 16821 Shlokas

Adhyaya 168: The Merit of Seeing Mathurā’s Guardian-Deity and a Catalog of Mathurā’s Sacred Geography

Mathurā-kṣetrapāla-darśana-phalaṃ tathā Mathurā-māhātmya-tīrtha-saṅkhyā

Ancient-Geography (Tīrtha-Māhātmya) and Ritual-Efficacy Discourse

Pṛthivī bertanya tentang pelindung yang ditempatkan untuk menjaga Mathurā serta apakah pahala (puṇya) yang terhasil daripada melihatnya. Varāha menjawab bahawa penjaga itu ialah Bhūtapati, yakni Hara/Rudra; sekadar darśana baginda di Mathurā memberikan buah dharma dan menghapus dosa. Kemudian diceritakan peristiwa lampau: selepas bertapa selama seribu tahun, Hara dikurniai anugerah dan memohon kediaman kekal di Mathurā; lalu baginda ditetapkan sebagai kṣetrapāla, agar manfaat kṣetra dapat dicapai melalui darśana. Mathurā diangkat sebagai ruang suci yang memperbaharui dunia, bahkan masuk ke dalamnya dikatakan memutus ikatan saṃsāra. Varāha seterusnya memuliakan Mathurā, menetapkan keluasan sucinya, dan menyenaraikan banyak tīrtha, sebagai pengetahuan yang dahulu dijaga rapi untuk membimbing perjalanan yang beretika dalam landskap yang disakralkan.

Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivī

Key Concepts

kṣetrapāla (sacred territorial guardianship)darśana-phala (merit through encounter/vision)tapas and vara (austerity leading to boons)tīrtha-māhātmya (praise-literature of sacred sites)kṣetra-praveśa as saṃsāra-nāśinī (liberative geography)guhya-vidyā (restricted/guarded revelation)
Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 168

Shlokas in Adhyaya 168

Verse 1

धरण्युवाच ॥ मथुरां रक्षते कोऽसौ क्षेत्रपालो व्यवस्थितः ॥ तेन दृष्टेन यत्पुण्यं कथयस्वाखिलं प्रभो ॥

Dharaṇī berkata: “Siapakah kṣetrapāla, penjaga kawasan suci yang berdiri melindungi Mathurā itu? Dan apakah pahala yang timbul daripada darśana kepadanya—wahai Tuhan, ceritakanlah semuanya.”

Verse 2

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ दृष्ट्वा भूतपतिं देवं वरदं पापनाशनम् ॥ तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण मथुरायां फलं भवेत् ॥

Śrī Varāha bersabda: “Setelah menatap Tuhan, Penguasa segala makhluk—Pemberi anugerah dan Pemusnah dosa—maka dengan darśana-Nya semata-mata, pahala kebajikan yang diperoleh di Mathurā pun tercapai.”

Verse 3

पुरा वर्षसहस्रं तु तपस्तप्तं सुदारुणम् ॥ पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु मया सन्तोषितो हरः ॥

“Pada zaman dahulu, selama seribu tahun aku menunaikan tapa yang amat keras. Setelah genap seribu tahun itu, Hara (Śiva) pun berkenan dan puas terhadapku.”

Verse 4

वरं वरय भद्रं ते यस्ते मनसि वर्तते ॥ ईश्वर उवाच ॥ सर्वगस्त्वं हि देवेश मया ज्ञातं सुनिश्चितम् ॥

“Pilihlah suatu kurnia—semoga sejahtera bagimu—apa sahaja yang bersemayam dalam hatimu.” Īśvara bersabda: “Wahai Devēśa, sesungguhnya engkau Maha-meliputi; hal ini telah aku ketahui dengan pasti.”

Verse 5

मथुरायां च देव त्वं क्षेत्रपालो भविष्यसि ॥ त्वयि दृष्टे महादेव मम क्षेत्रफलं भवेत् ॥

“Dan di Mathurā, wahai dewa, engkau akan menjadi kṣetrapāla, penjaga kawasan suci. Wahai Mahādeva, apabila engkau dilihat (darśana), maka pahala kebajikan wilayah suciku akan diperoleh.”

Verse 6

अन्यथा नाप्नुयात् सिद्धिमेवं एतन्न संशयः ॥ येन यद्यादृशं पुण्यं कृतं तीर्थे प्रयत्नतः ॥

“Jika tidak demikian, seseorang tidak akan mencapai siddhi (kesempurnaan); demikianlah adanya—tiada keraguan. Dengan apa jua usaha, apa jua bentuk kebajikan yang dihasilkan di tīrtha (tempat ziarah suci) dengan bersungguh-sungguh…”

Verse 7

भजते मनुजः सिद्धिमात्मभावेन तादृशीम् ॥ मम क्षेत्रप्रवेशे च भूमिः संसारनाशिनी ॥

Seseorang mencapai siddhi sedemikian melalui sikap batin (ātmabhāva). Dan apabila memasuki kṣetra suci-Ku, tanah ini disebut sebagai pemusnah ikatan saṃsāra (kelahiran-ulang duniawi).

Verse 8

मथुरायां च मे स्थानं सदा देव प्रदीयताम् ॥ देवदेव वचः श्रुत्वा हरिर्वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

Dan di Mathurā, semoga sentiasa dikurniakan bagi-Ku suatu tempat kediaman, wahai dewa. Setelah mendengar sabda Dewa segala dewa, Hari pun bertitah sebagai jawapan.

Verse 9

इन्द्रस्यैव पुरी रम्या यथा नाकेऽमरावती ॥ जम्बूद्वीपे तथोत्कृष्टा मथुरा मम वल्लभा ॥

Sebagaimana kota Indra yang indah di syurga ialah Amarāvatī, demikian juga di Jambūdvīpa, Mathurā—yang Kukasihi—adalah yang paling unggul.

Verse 10

न मया कथितं देवि ब्रह्मणश्च महात्मनः ॥ रुद्रस्य न मया पूर्वं कथितं च वसुन्धरे ॥

Wahai Dewi, perkara ini tidak pernah aku katakan bahkan kepada Brahmā yang berhati agung; dan wahai Vasundharā, dahulu pun tidak aku katakan kepada Rudra.

Verse 11

मया सुगोपितं पूर्वं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं परम् ॥ अत्र क्षेत्रे पुरी रम्या सर्वरत्नविभूषिता ॥

Dahulu aku menyimpannya dengan sangat rapi—lebih rahsia daripada rahsia, yang tertinggi. Di kṣetra ini ada sebuah kota yang indah, dihiasi dengan segala jenis ratna (permata).

Verse 12

तस्यां तिष्ठन्ति तीर्थानि तानि वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु ॥ षष्टिकोटिसहस्राणि षष्टिकोटिशतानि च ॥

Di wilayah itu tertegak tīrtha-tīrtha (tempat penyeberangan suci); akan aku nyatakan—dengarlah. Bilangannya disebut enam puluh koṭi bagi ribuan, dan juga enam puluh koṭi bagi ratusan.

Verse 13

तीर्थसंख्या च वसुधे मथुरायां मयोदिता ॥ गोवर्द्धनं तथाक्रूरं द्वे कोटी दक्षिणोत्तरे ॥

Wahai Vasudhā (Bumi), bilangan tīrtha di Mathurā telah aku nyatakan. Tentang Govardhana dan juga Ākrūra—ada dua koṭi, pada kawasan selatan dan utara.

Verse 14

प्रस्कन्दनं च भाण्डीरं कुरुक्षेत्रसमानि षट् ॥ पुण्यात्पुण्यतरं श्रेष्ठमेतद्विश्रान्तिसंज्ञकम् ॥

Dan Praskandana serta Bhāṇḍīra—ada enam (tīrtha) yang setara dengan Kurukṣetra. Yang paling utama, lebih berkat daripada segala kebajikan, ini dikenal dengan nama ‘Viśrānti’.

Verse 15

असिकुण्डं सवैकुण्ठं कोटितीर्थोत्तमं स्मृतम् ॥ अविमुक्तं सोमतीर्थं यमनं तिन्दुकं ततः ॥

Asikuṇḍa, Savaikuṇṭha dan Koṭitīrtha—semuanya dikenang sebagai yang paling utama. (Juga) Avimukta, Somatīrtha, Yamana, dan kemudian Tinduka.

Verse 16

चक्रतीर्थं तथाक्रूरं द्वादशादित्यसंज्ञितम् ॥ एतत्पुण्यं पवित्रं च महापातकनाशनम् ॥

Chakratīrtha, dan demikian juga Ākrūra, dinamai ‘Dvādaśāditya’. Ini beroleh pahala dan menyucikan, serta memusnahkan dosa-dosa besar.

Verse 17

कुरुक्षेत्राच्छतगुणं मथुरायां न संशयः ॥ ये पठन्ति महाभागाः शृण्वन्ति च समाहिताः ॥

Di Mathurā, pahala (kebajikan) adalah seratus kali ganda berbanding Kurukṣetra—tiada keraguan. Mereka yang berbahagia yang melagukan bacaan kisah ini, dan mereka yang mendengar dengan tumpuan jiwa—

Verse 18

मथुरायास्तु माहात्म्यं ते यान्ति परमं पदम् ॥ कुलानि ते तारयन्ति द्वे शते विंशयोर् द्वयोः ॥

Adapun kemuliaan Mathurā: mereka mencapai martabat tertinggi. Mereka juga menyelamatkan keturunan mereka—dua ratus dan dua kali dua puluh (jumlah 240) generasi.

Verse 19

एतत्ते कथितं देवि सर्वपातकनाशनम् ॥ तीर्थानां चैव माहात्म्यं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥

Wahai Dewi, inilah yang telah diceritakan kepadamu, yang memusnahkan segala dosa; dan juga kemuliaan para tīrtha. Apa lagi yang engkau ingin dengar?

Verse 20

विंशतिर्योजनानां हि माठुरं मम मण्डलम् ॥ पदे पदेऽश्वमेधानां फलं नात्र विचारणा ॥

Sesungguhnya, wilayah Mathurā-Ku terbentang sejauh dua puluh yojana. Pada setiap langkah ada hasil pahala korban Aśvamedha—di sini tiada pertikaian.

Verse 21

एतन्मरणकाले तु यः स्मरेत्प्रयतो नरः ॥ स गच्छेत्परामां सिद्धिमिह संसारनाशिनीम् ॥

Namun sesiapa yang berdisiplin, yang mengingati hal ini pada saat kematian, akan mencapai siddhi tertinggi di sini—yang memusnahkan putaran saṃsāra.

Inside Adhyaya 168

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Pṛthivī asks Varāha who stands as Mathurā’s protector (kṣetrapāla) and what puṇya arises from seeing (darśana) him within the kṣetra.

  2. Central event

    Varāha identifies the guardian as Bhūtapati—Hara/Rudra—whose presence in Mathurā makes the kṣetra’s fruits readily accessible; he then narrates how Hara, after a thousand-year tapas, received a boon and asked for a permanent abode in Mathurā.

  3. Climax resolution

    The boon is granted as a territorial appointment: Hara becomes the fixed kṣetrapāla of the Māthura-maṇḍala; Varāha elevates Mathurā as a saṃsāra-cutting space where entry and proper encounter mediate liberation, then defines the sacred extent (about 20 yojanas) and discloses a guarded catalog of tīrthas to regulate movement through the sacral landscape.

  4. Closing phalashruti

    No explicit, formal phalaśruti formula is indicated in the provided summary; the chapter’s operative ‘phalā’ is embedded as repeated claims that darśana of Bhūtapati in Mathurā removes sin and grants the kṣetra’s benefits, and that kṣetra-praveśa itself is saṃsāra-nāśinī.

Geographical context

Mathurā (māthura-maṇḍala, 20 yojanas); Amarāvatī (as a comparative heavenly city); Jambūdvīpa; Govardhana; Akrūra-tīrtha/Akrūra; Praskandana; Bhāṇḍīra (Bhāṇḍīravaṭa region implied); Kurukṣetra (as a comparative tīrtha); Asikuṇḍa; Vaikuṇṭha (as a named tīrtha: Savaikuṇṭha); Avimukta; Soma-tīrtha; Yamana; Tinduka; Chakra-tīrtha; Dvādaśāditya-tīrtha.

Tirtha focus

  • Primary TirthaMathurā (Māthura-maṇḍala) with Bhūtapati/Hara as kṣetrapāla
  • Associated RegionMathurā / Braj (Māthura-maṇḍala; within Jambūdvīpa framing)
  • Pilgrimage MeritDarśana of Bhūtapati in Mathurā is said to destroy sin and confer the kṣetra’s full religious fruit; entry into the Māthura-kṣetra is framed as saṃsāra-nāśinī (world-transcending), and knowledge of boundaries/tīrthas functions as a guide for ethically ‘correct’ pilgrimage movement.

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualKṣetrapāla-darśana in Mathurā (seeing/approaching Bhūtapati/Hara as guardian before engaging the kṣetra)
  • BenefitRemoval of pāpa (sin), access to Mathurā’s kṣetra-phala through the guardian’s darśana, and participation in a liberative geography where kṣetra-entry is portrayed as saṃsāra-nāśinī.

The narrative frame

  • Varāha (Viṣṇu in boar form)Pṛthivī (Earth) · Didactic and revelatory (tīrtha-māhātmya disclosure framed as formerly guarded/guhya knowledge)

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaŚānta (with devotional awe toward the kṣetra and its guardian)
  • Emotional ProgressionInquiry and curiosity (Pṛthivī) → authoritative identification of the guardian and promise of sin-removal → mythic validation via tapas-and-boon episode → expansion into sacred cartography and boundary-definition → settled reverence toward regulated pilgrimage knowledge.

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityHighly feasible: Mathura–Vrindavan–Govardhan circuit is well-developed with road/rail access; many named sites correspond to the broader Braj region, though some tīrtha-identifications may be traditional/local rather than archaeologically fixed.
  • Best SeasonOctober–March (cooler months for Braj yātrā)
  • Modern Location NameMathura, Uttar Pradesh, India (Braj region; Mathura–Vrindavan–Govardhan area)
  • Related FestivalKārttika month observances in Braj; Janmāṣṭamī (Mathurā); Holī (Braj)

Frequently Asked Questions

The chapter frames sacred territory as an ethical landscape: the text instructs that mindful approach to a kṣetra (Mathurā) and encounter (darśana) with its guardian-deity mediates access to the kṣetra’s benefits. It also depicts knowledge of place (tīrtha cataloging and boundaries) as a regulated disclosure (guhya), implying responsible movement through and valuation of terrestrial space.

No tithi, nakṣatra, māsa, or seasonal observance is specified in the provided verses. The only explicit temporal marker is a mythic duration—"varṣa-sahasra" (a thousand years) of tapas—used to ground the narrative of boon-granting and the establishment of the kṣetrapāla.

Through the Varāha–Pṛthivī frame, the text treats Earth as a morally charged domain where certain regions are described as saṃsāra-nāśinī (world-negating/world-transcending) by entry itself. By defining Mathurā’s extent (maṇḍala) and enumerating its tīrthas, it models an early form of ‘terrestrial stewardship’ discourse: the land is mapped, valued, and approached via rules of encounter (darśana) and guardianship (kṣetrapāla), reinforcing careful, non-random engagement with place.

The chapter references deities as principal figures rather than human dynasties: Bhūtapati/Hara/Rudra (as the guardian), Indra (via Amarāvatī as a comparison), Brahmā (as a figure to whom the knowledge was not previously disclosed), and Viṣṇu/Varāha as narrator. No royal lineages, named sages, or administrative genealogies appear in the provided passage.

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