Varaha Purana 215.86: Adhyaya 215, Shloka 86
Description of the Māhātmya of Gokarṇeśvara and Jaleśvara (Śaileśvara) in the Śleṣmātaka Forest
तत्र गोरक्षकं नाम गोवृषः पदविक्षतम्॥ दृष्ट्वा च तानि हि पुमान् गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्॥
tatra gorakṣakaṃ nāma govṛṣaḥ padavikṣatam || dṛṣṭvā ca tāni hi pumān gosahasraphalaṃ labhet ||
ณ ที่นั้นมีโคพฤษภชื่อ “โครักษกะ” รอยกีบเท้าปรากฏให้เห็น ครั้นบุรุษได้เห็นรอยเหล่านั้น ย่อมได้บุญเท่ากับถวายโคหนึ่งพันตัว
Varāha (default, instructor voice)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"interested, attentive to local sacred markers","key_question":"What minor/auxiliary signs at the tīrtha confer merit, even by mere दर्शन (seeing)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Gorakṣaka bull’s hoofprints (padavikṣata) at/near Brahmodbheda tīrtha","parikrama_context":"Implied ‘darśana’ during site-visit; no explicit circumambulation.","krishna_connection":"Indirect cultural resonance with go-sevā/go-dāna ideals later central in Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, but no explicit Kṛṣṇa reference."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Darśana of the sacred bull’s hoofmarks yields merit equal to gifting a thousand cows (go-sahasra-phala).","karmic_consequence":"Observance (reverent viewing) accrues massive puṇya comparable to mahā-dāna; disrespect/neglect is not stated but implied loss of opportunity."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti-inflected tīrtha semiotics (signs as carriers of grace)","core_concept":"Sacred presence can inhere in traces (padacihna); perception with faith becomes a vehicle of puṇya.","practical_application":"While visiting tīrthas, attend to ‘small’ sanctified markers (footprints, stones, trees) and approach them with respectful awareness."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred Geography","Heritage Sites","Ritual Merit","Pastoral Culture"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: sacred footprint/trace (cihna) within a pilgrimage landscape
Related Themes: 215.94.0–215.95.0 (same tīrtha and its major fruit); 215.97.0–215.98.0 (nearby peak and Devī’s sālokya fruit)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim bends to view distinct hoofprints impressed in earth/stone near a tīrtha; a strong, auspicious bull (Gorakṣaka) is evoked—either present as a vision or symbolically indicated—while Varāha’s narration frames the merit.","item_prompts":["hoofprints on rock/ground","bull iconography (hump, horns)","pilgrim pointing/doing namaskāra","tīrtha water nearby","offerings: flowers, akṣata"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized hoofprint motif with decorative borders; pilgrim in añjali; auspicious bull rendered in profile with ornate harness; lush sacred grove.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: embossed hoofprints with gold highlights; bull with jeweled ornaments; devotee offering flowers; rich gold background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: naturalistic bull and subtle hoofmarks; soft shading; devotional restraint.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: delicate landscape; small hoofprints near stream; pilgrim and bull in gentle pastoral scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"wonder-filled, storytelling","suggested_raga":"Khamaj (warm, pastoral sweetness)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"narrative and inviting, emphasizing the surprising equivalence to go-sahasra-dāna"}
FAQs
It preserves a localized sacred-marker tradition (visible footprints/marks) and connects it to the idiom of ‘cow-gift merit’, a key unit in early Indian religious and economic valuation.
The verse points to a specific feature ‘there’ (tatra) within the previously described tīrtha area; the precise modern location is not specified in this excerpt.
The instruction is primarily ritual-cultural: valuing darśana (reverent seeing) of a sanctified marker, framed through traditional merit equivalencies.
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