Varaha Purana 155.65: Adhyaya 155, Shloka 65
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
तस्मिन्स्नातस्य वसुधे राजसूयफलṃ भवेत् ॥ कार्त्तिकीं समनुप्राप्य तत्तीर्थे तु वसुन्धरे ॥
tasmin snātasya vasudhe rājasūyaphalaṃ bhavet || kārttikīṃ samanuprāpya tattīrthe tu vasundhare ||
तस्मिन् तीर्थे स्नातस्य वसुधे राजसूयस्य फलं भवेत्। कार्त्तिकीं समनुप्राप्य तस्मिन्नेव तीर्थे वसुन्धरे॥
Varāha (default instructor voice)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Varāha instructs Earth on the extraordinary fruit of bathing at the tīrtha and highlights Kārttikā as a peak sacred month."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"reverent, absorbing month-specific injunctions","key_question":"What is the comparative merit of bathing here, and how does Kārttikā amplify the tīrtha’s fruit?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Akrūra-tīrtha (implied)","parikrama_context":"Kārttikā is a prime season for Braj parikramā; the verse frames the tīrtha as a Kārttikā highlight-stop.","krishna_connection":"Kārttikā is strongly Krishna/Vaiṣṇava (Dāmodara month) in later tradition; the tīrtha’s Kārttikā emphasis harmonizes with Krishna-bhakti pilgrimage culture."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Bathing at the specified tīrtha yields merit equivalent to a Rājasūya; Kārttikā is singled out as an especially potent time to perform it.","karmic_consequence":"Accrues extraordinary puṇya comparable to royal Vedic sacrifice; neglect implies loss of rare, high-grade merit (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Kārttikā-snāna at Akrūra-tīrtha (Kārttika vrata framework implied)","tithi_month":"Month of Kārttikā (especially auspicious for snāna)","promised_fruit":"Rājasūya-phala equivalence; heightened purification and spiritual elevation."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ritual interiorization","core_concept":"Purāṇic tīrtha-bhakti can ‘translate’ costly Vedic sacrifice into accessible devotional-ritual acts without losing spiritual potency.","practical_application":"If unable to perform grand sacrifices, undertake Kārttikā snāna and pilgrimage with discipline, purity, and devotion."}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Ethics","Geography"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: tīrtha/ghāṭa
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155 (Kārttikā and tīrtha fruits continue into vṛṣotsarga/śrāddha instructions)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pilgrims bathing at Akrūra-tīrtha in Kārttikā, with symbolic allusion to the grandeur of a Rājasūya sacrifice.","item_prompts":["Yamunā ghāṭa crowded with lamps (Kārttikā dīpa motifs)","pilgrims performing snāna","subtle sacrificial symbols (yajña-kuṇḍa, royal parasol) as metaphoric backdrop","Varāha teaching Bhu-devī"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Kārttikā lamps along river; stylized yajña symbols behind; Varāha-Bhu-devī dialogue panel; rich reds/ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf lamps and halos; river rendered with embossed patterns; royal yajña emblems in gold; iconic composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant ghāṭa architecture; soft lamp-glow; restrained symbolic yajña elements; devotional calm.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: night/dusk Kārttikā riverside with rows of diyas; delicate figures; poetic atmosphere; minimal symbolic yajña cues."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic, merit-proclaiming","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"sonorous, authoritative"}
FAQs
It shows how Purāṇic tīrtha texts equate local rites (bathing) with major Vedic sacrifices (Rājasūya), indicating shifts in devotional and pilgrimage-centered religious economies.
The verse refers to “that tīrtha” already established in context (Akrūra-tīrtha), without additional geographic qualifiers.
It promotes disciplined, place-based ritual practice framed as socially accessible compared to elite sacrificial rites.
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