Varaha Purana 75.79 — Adhyaya 75, Shloka 79
Description of Jambūdvīpa: its regions, mountains, measurements, and cosmic structure
दशयोजनविस्तीर्णा चक्रपाटोपनिर्गता । सा तूर्द्ध्ववाहिनी चापि नदी भूमौ प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ७५.७९ ॥
daśa-yojana-vistīrṇā cakrapāṭopanirgatā | sā tūrdhva-vāhinī cāpi nadī bhūmau pratiṣṭhitā || 75.79 ||
Lebarnya sepuluh yojana, sungai itu muncul dari bukaan Cakrapāṭa. Sungai tersebut—yang juga mengalir ke atas—menjadi teguh bertempat di atas bumi.
Varāha (default speaker within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
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":"curious","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","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":"A river issuing from a ‘cakra-opening’ and even flowing upward signals supramundane hydraulics: divine agency (Viṣṇu’s cakra) pierces cosmic strata, releasing purifying flow that can reverse ordinary gravity—like grace overriding natural constraint.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Cakra as a consecrating implement that ‘opens’ a passage (like a ritual perforation/pravartana); the river’s establishment on earth parallels āhuti becoming prāṇa-sustaining rain/waters in yajña cosmology.","vedantic_connection":"The ‘ūrdhvavāhinī’ motif aligns with the idea that higher causality governs lower laws; the sacred river is a visible sign (liṅga) of the unseen order (dharma/īśvara-niyati)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theological-cosmological","core_concept":"Divine power can originate and direct life-giving flows beyond ordinary limitation; sacred waters are embodiments of higher order.","practical_application":"Approach tīrtha and water with devotion and restraint; let ‘upward-flowing’ imagery inspire inner reversal—turning the mind from outward drift to higher pursuit."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Cosmology","Heritage Sites","Ecological Narratives"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: sacred river / cosmographic watercourse
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 75 (river descriptions following mountain list)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"From a mountain cleft shaped like a radiant discus-mark, a broad river bursts forth, spanning ten yojanas, with a portion visibly arcing upward before settling across the earth.","item_prompts":["mountain Cakrapāṭa","discus-shaped opening/glow","wide river torrent","upward-flowing arc","earth receiving the river"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Dynamic white-blue river with stylized wave motifs; glowing cakra aperture on the mountain; strong contour lines and rhythmic flow patterns.","tanjore_prompt":"Gold-leaf halo around the cakra-opening; embossed river stream; gem-like highlights on spray and foam.","mysore_prompt":"Naturalistic water rendering with luminous source; subtle depiction of upward flow; serene yet wondrous palette.","pahari_prompt":"Graceful curved river stream rising upward; crisp mountain outlines; delicate mist and spray in cool tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"wondrous-reverent","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhvani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"bright, uplifted, slightly emphatic on ‘ūrdhvavāhinī’"}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic style of sacred-geographic description, combining physical dimensions (yojana-based extent) with mythic causality (emergence from a cakra-associated opening), reflecting how landscapes were culturally mapped in early Sanskrit literature.
The verse describes a river characterized by a ten-yojana extent and an origin at a 'cakrapāṭa' (discus-opening). The specific modern identification is not explicit in this isolated fragment; it is typically determined by reading the surrounding verses of Adhyāya 75.
Rather than a direct moral injunction, the verse contributes to a heritage-oriented worldview in which rivers are treated as foundational features of the earth’s ordered landscape—supporting an implied principle of cultural and environmental stewardship toward waterways.
Ask anything about this verse
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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.