Varaha Purana 144.116: Adhyaya 144, Shloka 116

The Māhātmya of Someśvara and Related Liṅgas: The Liberation-Field of Triveṇī and the Śālagrāma Sacred Landscape

Devanagari script

यस्यास्त्समतां कन्या लभेद्गङ्गां विना नदीम् ॥ यत्र सा परमा पुण्या गण्डकी भुक्तिमुक्तिदा

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 144.116

Transliteration

yasyāstatsamatāṁ kānyā labhed gaṅgāṁ vinā nadīm || yatra sā paramā puṇyā gaṇḍakī bhuktimuktidā

Translation

من دون الغانغا، أيُّ نهرٍ آخر يمكن لفتاةٍ أن تناله مساوياً لها؟ وحيث توجد الغاندكي (Gaṇḍakī)، وهي النهر الأسمى في البرّ والأشد قداسة، يُقال إنها تمنح لذّة الدنيا والتحرّر معاً.

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Word by Word

• yasyāḥ: of which/whose
• yasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Present/लट्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• samatām: equality/likeness
• samatām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kanyā: a maiden/daughter
• kanyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• gaṅgām: Ganga
• gaṅgām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), preposition-like particle governing Accusative (द्वितीयार्थक-निपात)

• nadīm: a river
• nadīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), relative adverb (सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय)

• sā: she/that (river)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• paramā: supreme
• paramā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying sā

• puṇyā: holy/meritorious
• puṇyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying sā

• gaṇḍakī: Gandaki (river)
• gaṇḍakī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇḍakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhukti-mukti-dā: giver of worldly enjoyment and liberation
• bhukti-mukti-dā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhukti (प्रातिपदिक) + mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); upapada-tatpuruṣa (उपपद-तत्पुरुष): "giver of enjoyment and liberation"; adjective of gaṇḍakī

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Cultural Heritage
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents the elevation of regional rivers into pan-Indic pilgrimage networks by comparing them to the Gaṅgā, a standard strategy in tīrtha-māhātmya composition.

Which geographic location is identified?

Gaṇḍakī is named explicitly; in historical geography it is associated with the Gandaki river system (notably in the Himalayan foothill regions, including present-day Nepal and adjoining areas).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames the river as a protected cultural landscape whose value is both social (well-being) and philosophical (liberation), encouraging respectful engagement with natural heritage.