Varaha Purana 174.89: Adhyaya 174, Shloka 89
The Sanctifying Power of River Confluences: Release from the Preta-State and the Rite of Śravaṇa Dvādaśī with Vāmana Worship
पिशाचसंज्ञकं नाम तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् ॥ यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण न प्रेतो जायते नरः
piśācasaṃjñakaṃ nāma tīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam || yasya śravaṇamātreṇa na preto jāyate naraḥ
‘پِشَچ-سنج्ञک’ نام کا ایک تیرتھ ہے جو تینوں لوکوں میں مشہور ہے؛ اس کا محض سن لینا ہی انسان کو ‘پریت’ کے طور پر جنم لینے سے بچاتا ہے۔
Varāha (default, not explicitly marked)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Piśāca-saṃjñaka Tīrtha"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Hearing even the name/glory of the tri-loka-renowned Piśāca-saṃjñaka tīrtha prevents preta-birth.","karmic_consequence":"Śravaṇa-mātra yields protection from preta-janma; disregard forfeits this easy safeguard."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"name-and-hearing efficacy (nāma/śravaṇa)","core_concept":"Sacred geography becomes salvific through sound: nāma and māhātmya heard with receptivity alter karmic trajectory.","practical_application":"Include tīrtha-nāma and māhātmya in daily remembrance/reading; cultivate attentive hearing as a purifier even when pilgrimage is not possible."}
Subject Matter: ["Sacred Geography","Heritage Sites","Textual Listening (Śravaṇa)"]
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: tīrtha (sacred ford)
Related Themes: 174.96.0; 174.97.0
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A signified sacred ford named Piśāca-saṃjñaka—riverbank with a marked spot—while a narrator/teacher proclaims its fame across the three worlds; listeners react with wonder and relief.","item_prompts":["river ford with steps","stone marker or shrine naming the tīrtha","three-world motif (heaven/earth/nether) as symbolic bands","listeners in awe","protective light dispelling dark spirits"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized river-ghāṭa with a small shrine; teacher figure pointing; tri-loka suggested via layered background; dark piśāca silhouettes kept at bay by luminous border.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf river highlights and haloed shrine; ornate inscription panel ‘Piśāca-saṃjñaka’; tri-loka symbolism in medallions; strong contrast of gold vs dark spirit forms.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant ghāṭa architecture; subtle tri-loka allegory; calm teacher; refined depiction of protective sanctity around the tīrtha.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: scenic river landscape; small tīrtha-shrine under trees; narrative figures in conversation; whimsical but restrained spirit motifs in distant shadows."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"wonder-tinged proclamation, reassuring","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, slightly emphatic on the tīrtha-name"}
FAQs
It preserves a named tīrtha within Purāṇic sacred geography and demonstrates how reputational ‘renown’ (viśruti) functions as a mechanism of cultural transmission.
A tīrtha called Piśāca-saṃjñaka; without additional corroborating sources, its precise modern location remains uncertain.
The verse promotes engagement with dharmic narratives and recognized heritage sites as a means to avoid harmful post-mortem states.
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