Varaha Purana 216.4 — Adhyaya 216, Shloka 4
The Sacred Account of Gokarṇa, Śṛṅgeśvara, and Related Tīrthas
देवैर्देवर्षिभिश्चैव सिद्धैर्ब्रह्मर्षिभिस्तथा ॥ गोकर्ण इति विख्यातिः कृता वैशेषिकी वरा ॥
devair devarṣibhiś caiva siddhair brahmarṣibhis tathā || gokarṇa iti vikhyātiḥ kṛtā vaiśeṣikī varā ||
Oleh para dewa, para dewa-ṛṣi, para Siddha, dan juga para Brahma-ṛṣi, ditegakkanlah kemasyhuran yang unggul lagi istimewa: “(inilah) Gokarṇa.”
Brahmā
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Gokarṇa","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Naming (khyāti) by assemblies of devas and ṛṣis is a sacral act: language fixes sanctity into cultural memory, turning geography into a living mantra-like identifier.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"The ‘khyāti’ functions like a ritual saṃjñā: as offerings are ‘named’ and thereby empowered, so a place becomes ritually addressable as Gokarṇa.","vedantic_connection":"Nāma-rūpa: the sacred is apprehended through name and form; collective recognition by realized beings legitimizes a locus of presence."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"hermeneutic-cultural","core_concept":"Sacred geography is sustained by smṛti (remembered tradition) and saṅgha (collective authority of the wise).","practical_application":"Preserve and transmit tīrtha-narratives and place-names with fidelity; cultural memory is part of dharma."}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Onomastics (Place-names)","Cultural Memory"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: tīrtha / sacred coastal-forest region traditionally identified with Gokarṇa
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 216 (Gokarṇa naming and śṛṅga narrative)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand assembly of gods, devarṣis, siddhas, and brahmarṣis proclaiming the site’s distinctive fame as ‘Gokarṇa.’","item_prompts":["large celestial assembly","sages with jaṭā and kamaṇḍalu","devas with crowns","gesture of proclamation/blessing","inscribed banner or symbolic ‘name’ motif","sacred landscape backdrop"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: tiered assembly composition, rhythmic rows of sages and devas, central proclamation gesture, stylized trees/coastline for Gokarṇa.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central plaque-like scene with gold-leaf emphasis on the proclaimed name, richly adorned devas, luminous sages.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined group portrait, subtle expressions of assent, detailed textiles and ornaments, calm sacred ambience.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: hillside/shore setting with clustered sages, delicate narrative charm, emphasis on communal declaration."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ceremonial-announcing","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"sonorous, proclamatory"}
FAQs
It reflects how Purāṇic texts formalize a site’s identity through authoritative naming by elite transmitters (devas, ṛṣis), functioning as a cultural-historical ‘charter’ for pilgrimage geography.
Gokarṇa is explicitly identified as the established name of the locale.
The verse highlights consensus and collective recognition in establishing cultural heritage—authority is presented as distributed across multiple respected groups.
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