Varaha Purana 137.96 — Adhyaya 137, Shloka 96
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
स्नानादाखोटके तीर्थे यत्फलं समुपाश्नुते ॥ दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च ॥
snānād ākhōṭake tīrthe yatphalaṁ samupāśnute || daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśavarṣaśatāni ca ||
ఆఖోటక తీర్థంలో స్నానం చేయుటవలన లభించే పుణ్యఫలం దశసహస్ర సంవత్సరములు మరియు మరియూ శతశత సంవత్సరములు నిలిచియుంటుంది అని చెప్పబడింది.
Narrator/Instructor voice (speaker not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Ākhoṭaka-tīrtha","parikrama_context":"Merit statement functions as a tīrtha-mahātmya unit that typically motivates yātrā/parikramā visitation, though circumambulation is not explicitly mentioned.","krishna_connection":"As part of Mathurā-region tīrtha praise, it can be absorbed into later Kṛṣṇa-bhakti pilgrimage culture, but no explicit Kṛṣṇa reference here."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Bathing (snāna) at Ākhoṭaka-tīrtha yields long-enduring puṇya (merit).","karmic_consequence":"Observance accrues merit lasting ‘ten thousand years and hundreds of years’; neglect is not specified."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma/puṇya economy in tīrtha culture","core_concept":"Ritual acts at specific sacred geographies amplify karmic merit across long temporal spans.","practical_application":"Undertake tīrtha-snāna with faith, purity, and right intention; integrate pilgrimage into a dharmic life as periodic renewal."}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Geography","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tīrtha (bathing place)
Related Themes: Mathurā-mahātmya style merit-claims in the same adhyāya/section
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pilgrims bathing at Ākhoṭaka-tīrtha, with a small shrine and calm waters; a subtle visual motif of time (years) indicating enduring merit.","item_prompts":["sacred tank/river ford","bathers performing ācamana","small shrine/linga or Viṣṇu marker (unspecified)","offerings (flowers, lamps)","inscribed name ‘Ākhoṭaka’ on a stone slab","time motif (calendar/scroll)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized tīrtha waters with lotus patterns, devotees in ritual posture, bright temple elements, decorative borders suggesting auspicious merit.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold-leaf shrine and ornaments, shimmering water highlights, devotees with rich textiles, embossed frame emphasizing ‘mahātmya’ grandeur.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: serene tank scene, fine detailing of ritual gestures, soft light on water, balanced composition around the shrine.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: gentle riverside landscape, small temple under trees, pilgrims bathing, airy palette conveying purity and calm."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"declarative, auspicious tīrtha-praise","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"bright, encouraging, steady"}
FAQs
Merit-quantification (in years) is a standard Purāṇic device that helps identify tīrtha-māhātmya layers and ritual-economy discourse.
Ākhoṭaka tīrtha; its modern identification is uncertain without additional regional or manuscript context.
It promotes disciplined ritual practice framed as cultural heritage behavior linked to specific sacred landscapes.
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