Varaha Purana 157.3: Adhyaya 157, Shloka 3

Praise of the Malayārjuna Sacred Ford and the Mathurā–Yamunā Pilgrimage Cycle

Devanagari script

द्वादश्यां शुक्लपक्षस्य ज्येष्ठमासे वसुन्धरे ॥ तत्र स्नानेन दानेन महापातकनाशनम् ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 157.3

Transliteration

dvādaśyāṃ śukla-pakṣasya jyeṣṭha-māse vasundhare || tatra snānena dānena mahāpātaka-nāśanam ||

Translation

O Erde, am zwölften Mondtag der hellen Monatshälfte im Monat Jyeṣṭha—dort bewirken Baden und Geben (Spenden) die Tilgung großer Verfehlungen.

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Word by Word

• dvādaśyām: on the Dvādaśī (12th day)
• dvādaśyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Locative (7th/सप्तमी) — 'on the twelfth (lunar day)'

• śukla-pakṣasya: of the bright fortnight
• śukla-pakṣasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी); karmadhāraya: 'bright fortnight'

• jyeṣṭha-māse: in the month of Jyeṣṭha
• jyeṣṭha-māse: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Locative (7th/सप्तमी) — 'in the month of Jyeṣṭha'

• vasundhare: O Vasundharā (Earth)
• vasundhare: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन) — 'O Earth' (addressing the listener)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deictic adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय) — 'there/at that place'

• snānena: by bathing
• snānena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया) — 'by bathing'

• dānena: by giving (charity)
• dānena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया) — 'by giving/charity'

• mahāpātaka-nāśanam: destruction of great sins
• mahāpātaka-nāśanam: Karma (कर्म/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: mahāpātakānāṃ nāśanam — 'destruction of great sins' (elliptic predicate/result)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue frame)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ritual Calendar
• Cultural Heritage
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It ties tīrtha practice to a specific lunar date, reflecting how Purāṇic texts coordinated pilgrimage, charity, and seasonal calendars.

Which geographic location is identified?

The ‘there’ refers back to the Malayārjuna-tīrtha/kuṇḍa context established in Adhyāya 157.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Ethical action is paired with ritual (dāna with snāna), presenting social generosity and personal discipline as complementary cultural virtues.