Varaha Purana 137.68 — Adhyaya 137, Shloka 68

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Devanagari script

चक्रतीर्थे विशालाक्षि मरणे कृतकृत्यतः ॥ एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य श्रोतुकामा वसुन्धरा

Transliteration

cakratīrthe viśālākṣi maraṇe kṛtakṛtyataḥ || etac chrutvā vacas tasya śrotukāmā vasundharā

Translation

چکر تیرتھ میں، اے وسیع چشمہ، موت کے وقت انسان ‘کرتکرتیہ’—یعنی جو کرنا تھا وہ کر چکا—ہو جاتا ہے۔ اس کے یہ کلمات سن کر وسندھرا (زمین) مزید سننے کی مشتاق ہو گئی۔

Word by Word

• cakra-tīrthe: at Cakra-tīrtha

• viśālākṣi: O wide-eyed one

• maraṇe: at death

• kṛta-kṛtyatā: the state of having fulfilled one’s duty

• etat: this

• śrutvā: having heard

• vacaḥ: words

• tasya: of him

• śrotu-kāmā: desiring to hear

• vasundharā: Earth

Speaker

Varāha (default; Vasundharā/Pṛthivī referenced as listener)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma and identity","core_concept":"Smṛti arising reveals continuity of self across altered embodiments; kingship/status is contingent, while karmic causality persists through transformations.","practical_application":"Treat present identity and power as impermanent; act with dharma to avoid degrading rebirths; cultivate remembrance (smṛti) as a trigger for repentance and correction."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Ethics","Geography"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuṇa

Geographic Context

Type: araṇya (forest)

Cross References

Related Themes: Metamorphosis/curse-redemption episodes within Varāha Purāṇa narrative cycles

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king, moved by his beloved’s words, suddenly remembers and confesses a shocking truth: he is (or was) a vulture, tied to a forest-dweller; the moment is intimate and uncanny.","item_prompts":["king with troubled expression","queen/beloved listening","shadowy forest backdrop","vulture silhouette or emblem hinting past form","gesture of confession (hand to chest)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic eye-work; king in royal attire with a subtle vulture motif; forest stylization; adbhuta-karuṇa blend.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: regal couple with gold ornamentation; a small vulture emblem in background; emphasis on the king’s face and confession moment.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: nuanced expressions; soft forest tones; symbolic vulture presence without grotesquery.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate palace-forest edge scene; lyrical composition with a perched vulture in a tree; emotional revelation centered."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic revelation, reflective","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave, confessional"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Sacred Geography
• Death Ritual Discourse
• Purāṇic Dialogue

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies tīrtha-māhātmya rhetoric that connects a named pilgrimage site with ideals of a ‘complete life’ (kṛtakṛtya), and it preserves the dialogic framing with Earth as an inquirer.

Which geographic location is identified?

Cakra-tīrtha (a named tīrtha in the text; precise modern identification requires manuscript tradition and regional mapping beyond this excerpt).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It elevates the ideal of fulfilling one’s obligations (kṛtakṛtyatā) and frames sacred-place association as meaningful at life’s end.