Varaha Purana 157.37: Adhyaya 157, Shloka 37
Praise of the Malayārjuna Sacred Ford and the Mathurā–Yamunā Pilgrimage Cycle
अस्ति संपिठकं नाम अस्मिन् क्षेत्रे परं मम ॥ तत्र कुण्डं विशालाक्षि प्रसन्नसलिलं शुभम्
asti saṃpīṭhakaṃ nāma asmin kṣetre paraṃ mama || tatra kuṇḍaṃ viśālākṣi prasannasalilaṃ śubham
నా ఈ క్షేత్రంలో ‘సంపీఠకం’ అనే పరమ స్థలం ఉంది. అక్కడ, ఓ విశాలాక్షీ, స్వచ్ఛమైన శాంత జలాలతో శుభమైన ఒక కుండం ఉంది।
Varāha (default dialogue frame)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Direct address to Bhū-devī (‘viśālākṣi’), presenting a ‘supreme place’ in his kṣetra and highlighting a pure water-body—care for Earth’s sanctified ecology."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious and reassured (being shown auspicious features of her own realm)","key_question":"Which specific sacred loci and waters in this kṣetra are especially potent and why?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Saṃpīṭhaka (place) and its Kuṇḍa","parikrama_context":"Functions as a named stop within Mathurā-kṣetra itinerary; the kuṇḍa implies ritual bathing as part of yātrā/parikramā.","krishna_connection":"Implicit: Vraja/Mathurā kuṇḍas commonly become Kṛṣṇa-līlā anchors; the text’s sanctification prepares a Kṛṣṇa-centered reading of the landscape."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"purity-and-presence","core_concept":"Prasanna (clear, tranquil) waters mirror sattva and become fit vessels for sacred encounter.","practical_application":"Maintain inner and outer cleanliness: approach bathing/ritual with calm mind; protect and keep tīrtha waters unpolluted."}
Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Ecology"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: kṣetra-sthāna with kuṇḍa (sacred pond)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 157.42 (snāna and one-night stay fruit at ‘there’)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha (as divine narrator, not necessarily in boar-form depiction) indicates a revered spot named Saṃpīṭhaka; beside it lies a luminous kuṇḍa with glassy, tranquil water; Bhū-devī is addressed as ‘wide-eyed’.","item_prompts":["still sacred pond with steps (ghāṭ)","lotuses and clear water reflections","marker/inscription of ‘Saṃpīṭhaka’","Bhū-devī listening (earth-goddess iconography)","trees and birds suggesting a protected ecology"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: serene kuṇḍa with stylized lotus bands, Bhū-devī with large expressive eyes, Varāha as regal Viṣṇu-form narrator, warm greens and reds.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central Bhū-devī and Varāha/Viṣṇu figures with gold ornamentation; the kuṇḍa rendered as a decorative turquoise oval with lotuses.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined faces, soft water sheen, detailed flora, gentle devotional intimacy between speaker and listener.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: poetic pond scene with delicate lotuses, slender trees, airy sky; Bhū-devī portrayed with wide eyes and modest ornaments."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"calm, descriptive, reverential","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"soft, instructive"}
FAQs
It records a named micro-site (Saṃpīṭhaka) and a kuṇḍa, reflecting how Purāṇas encode water infrastructure and ritual landscapes as heritage memory.
A place called Saṃpīṭhaka within the described kṣetra, along with a specific pond (kuṇḍa); precise modern identification requires cross-textual comparison with Vraja tīrtha lists.
The verse elevates clean, tranquil water as auspicious—supporting an ethic of maintaining water bodies as shared cultural and ecological resources.
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