Varaha Purana 151.71: Adhyaya 151, Shloka 71

The Sacred Greatness of Lohārgala

The ‘Iron-Bolt’ Tīrtha

Uttara Bhāga · Kṣetra-Māhātmya (Transition to ‘my kṣetra’ Lohārgala; textual secrecy/privilege)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मलोकं परित्यज्य मम लोकं प्रपद्यते ॥ गुह्याख्याने महाभागे क्षेत्रे लोहर्गले मम ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 151.71

Transliteration

brahmalokaṃ parityajya mama lokaṃ prapadyate || guhyākhyāne mahābhāge kṣetre lohārgale mama

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

وہ برہملوک کو چھوڑ کر میرے لوک کو پہنچتا ہے۔ اے صاحبِ نصیب، یہ ‘گُہیاکھْیان’ کے ضمن میں، میرے مقدس کشتَر لوہارگل میں بیان ہوا ہے۔

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Word by Word

• brahma-lokam: Brahmaloka
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal form; expresses prior action
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: pari+√tyaj (त्यज् धातु)

• mama: my
• Type: Noun
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• lokam: world/realm
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)

• prapadyate: attains/resorts to
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular, Ātmanepada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra+√pad (पद् धातु)

• guhya-ākhyāne: in the secret narrative
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)

• mahā-bhāge: O greatly fortunate one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; used as epithet (vocative sense possible by context)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)

• kṣetre: in the sacred field/place
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)

• loha-argale: in Lohārgala
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; place-name
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: loha (प्रातिपदिक) + argalā/argala (प्रातिपदिक)

• mama: my
• Type: Noun
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• brahma+lokaṃ → brahmalokaṃ
• guhya+ākhyāne → guhyākhyāne
• loha+argale → lohārgale

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Kṣetra/tīrtha

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Receptive/curious; being instructed about sacred geography and its fruit

What she asks

Which sacred locus and teaching grants access to your loka beyond even Brahmaloka, and what is its authoritative textual framing?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Soteriology via bhagavat-sambandha (place + narrative)

Subjects

Heritage SitesCosmologyTextual Tradition

Core idea

Bhagavat-loka is superior to Brahmaloka; sacred geography and revealed narrative can function as direct means to the highest destination.

In practice

Approach/serve the Lohārgala-kṣetra with faith; study/receive the guhyākhyāna through proper transmission.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Varāha speaks authoritatively to Bhū-devī, locating salvific attainment in his kṣetra named Lohārgala and within a ‘secret narrative’ (guhyākhyāna).

Symbolism of the boar

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Sacred Geography
• Purāṇa Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It provides a named kṣetra (Lohārgala) and shows how Purāṇas mark certain passages as ‘guhya’ (restricted/esoteric), reflecting layered dissemination practices.

Which geographic location is identified?

Lohārgala is explicitly named as a kṣetra; modern identification is debated across regional traditions and requires correlation with other pilgrimage lists and inscriptions.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It suggests responsible transmission: some knowledge is framed as to be handled with care (guhya), implying restraint and contextual propriety.