Varaha Purana 169.33: Adhyaya 169, Shloka 33

The Greatness of Mathurā: The Ardhacandra Sacred Bathing Rite and the Procedure for the Yajñopavīta Observance

Devanagari script

एकादश्यां चोपवासी कृतशौचः समाहितः ॥ कालिन्द्यां तु नरः स्नातो मुच्यते योनिसङ्कटात् ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 169.33

Transliteration

ekādaśyāṃ copavāsī kṛtaśaucaḥ samāhitaḥ || kālindyāṃ tu naraḥ snāto mucyate yonisaṅkaṭāt ||

Translation

Fastend am elften Tithi, gereinigt und gesammelt—wenn ein Mensch in der Kālin̄dī badet, wird er von der Bedrängnis eingeengter Geburten erlöst.

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Word by Word

• ekādaśyām: on the eleventh (lunar day)
• ekādaśyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय) ‘and’

• upavāsī: fasting
• upavāsī: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√vas (वस्-धातु) / upavāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective meaning ‘one who fasts’

• kṛta-śaucaḥ: having performed purification; purified
• kṛta-śaucaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ कृ-धातु, क्त/कृदन्त) + śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past participle (क्त) used adjectivally

• samāhitaḥ: composed/concentrated
• samāhitaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√dhā (धा-धातु) / samāhita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past participle (क्त) ‘collected/attentive’

• kālindyām: in the Kālindī (Yamunā)
• kālindyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālindī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• naraḥ: a man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• snātaḥ: having bathed
• snātaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √snā (स्ना-धातु) / snāta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past participle (क्त) ‘bathed’

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच्-धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive/reflexive sense ‘is released’

• yoni-saṅkaṭāt: from the distress/difficulty of (re)birth
• yoni-saṅkaṭāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha (default, dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Ritual Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a tīrtha-oriented ritual program—fasting, purity, and river-bathing—linked to liberation motifs, illustrating how Purāṇas integrate geography with ethical-ritual discipline.

Which geographic location is identified?

Kālin̄dī is a well-attested ancient name for the Yamunā River, central to North Indian sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Cultivation of self-restraint (fasting), cleanliness, and mental composure, paired with a prescribed pilgrimage act (river bathing).