Varaha Purana 216.8: Adhyaya 216, Shloka 8
The Sacred Account of Gokarṇa, Śṛṅgeśvara, and Related Tīrthas
मार्गेण तच्छरीरेण निर्ययौ भगवान्विभुः ॥ शैशिरस्य गिरेः पादं प्रपेदे स्वयमात्मनः ॥
mārgeṇa taccharīreṇa niryayau bhagavān vibhuḥ || śaiśirasya gireḥ pādaṁ prapede svayam ātmanaḥ ||
मार्गेण तेनैव शरीरेण भगवान् विभुः निर्ययौ। स्वयमेव शैशिरगिरेः पादं प्रपेदे॥
Brahmā
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Śaiśira-giri (mountain)"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ‘all-pervading Lord’ moving ‘along the path’ in ‘that very body’ frames pilgrimage geography as a theophany-in-motion: the divine traverses and thereby sanctifies routes, making mārga itself a sacred medium.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Mārga (path) as yajña-mārga; the Lord’s body as the moving sacrifice that ‘reaches the foot’ (pāda) of the mountain like approaching an altar-base.","vedantic_connection":"Pervasion (vibhutva) plus embodied movement suggests līlā within māyā: the transcendent remains all-pervading while appearing to travel, legitimizing tīrtha-yātrā as participation in divine līlā."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"pilgrimage theology","core_concept":"A path becomes sacred through divine traversal and remembrance; movement can be a mode of worship.","practical_application":"Treat yātrā as sādhana: mindful walking, restraint, and recollection of the Lord’s presence in the route itself."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Mythic Narrative","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: mountain/approach route
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 216 (travel narrative leading into forest/peak descriptions)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The Lord, described as all-pervading, proceeds along a defined route in a particular assumed body and arrives at the base of the Śaiśira mountain.","item_prompts":["winding path (mārga)","majestic mountain base (giri-pāda)","traveler-form of the Lord (non-specific) with aura","waymarkers/trees indicating a sacred route"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: a sinuous ochre path through stylized greenery leading to a towering blue-green mountain; the Lord as a radiant traveler-form with ornate halo; rhythmic composition emphasizing procession.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: mountain rendered with gold highlights; the Lord’s figure with heavy gold-leaf jewelry and halo; path as a decorative band guiding the eye to the mountain foot.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: soft gradients for the mountain; elegant figure posture suggesting purposeful movement; fine detailing of flora along the route.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: crisp mountain contours and atmospheric distance; small divine traveler with bright halo on a narrow path; delicate trees and rocks framing the ascent approach."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative and reverent","suggested_raga":"Śuddha Sāveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, steady, story-telling"}
FAQs
It encodes movement across named terrain, a feature often used by Purāṇas to connect multiple sites into a coherent sacred map.
A mountain named Śaiśira is mentioned; its precise modern identification is uncertain without additional contextual markers, but it functions as a locative anchor in the narrative.
The verse models purposeful travel and arrival—movement is presented as directed and meaningful rather than exploitative of the landscape.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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 word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.