Varaha Purana 126.65 — Adhyaya 126, Shloka 65

The Greatness of Kubjāmraka: Raibhya’s Boon and the Teaching on the Sacred Tīrthas

Devanagari script

पौण्डरीके ततस्तीर्थे तेऽपि पञ्चत्वमागताः ॥

Transliteration

pauṇḍarīke tatas tīrthe te ’pi pañcatvam āgatāḥ ||

Translation

Then, at the tīrtha called Pauṇḍarīka, they too met their end (returned to the five elements).

Word by Word

• पौण्डरीके: at Pauṇḍarīka (place)
• पौण्डरीके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण तीर्थे संबद्धम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then/thereafter)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-शब्दः (also/even)

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of being five (i.e., death; dissolution into five elements)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state)

• आगताः: attained, came to
• आगताः: Kriya (क्रिया/Main predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) / आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा; क्रियापदवत् प्रयोगः (they came/attained)

Speaker

Varāha (default framework; narrative exposition)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"Sober, reflective (death at a tīrtha prompts inquiry into merit/sin).","key_question":"None"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Pauṇḍarīka-tīrtha","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Impermanence and sacred-place theology","core_concept":"‘Pañcatva’ underscores bodily dissolution into the five elements; tīrtha-context invites reflection on what (dharma/puṇya) endures beyond the body.","practical_application":"Use encounters with death to intensify dharma-practice and tīrtha-sevā; remember the body’s elemental destiny and prioritize sādhana."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Geography"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: Karuna

Secondary Rasa: Shanta

Geographic Context

Type: Tīrtha (sacred ford/shrine area)

Cross References

Related Themes: Immediate follow-up typically: explanation of Pauṇḍarīka-tīrtha mahimā (prompted explicitly in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a serene sacred ford named Pauṇḍarīka, figures lie fallen or are shown in final moments; the tīrtha is calm—lotuses, water, and a sense of solemn sanctity.","item_prompts":["river/pond with lotuses (pauṇḍarīka imagery)","tīrtha markers (steps/ghāṭa, shrine)","fallen figures or funerary stillness (tasteful, non-gory)","twilight or muted light","ascetics/witnesses in the background"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: tranquil water with stylized lotus motifs; restrained depiction of death as repose; temple steps and sacred trees; earthy palette with solemn mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: luminous tīrtha with gold highlights on lotus and shrine; figures depicted in dignified repose; ornate border framing the sacred site.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: soft, devotional landscape; detailed ghāṭa architecture; subdued emotional tone; emphasis on sacred calm rather than tragedy.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: delicate lotus pond and stepped bank; small figures in repose; expansive nature conveying impermanence and sanctity."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Solemn, contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"Vilambit (slow, weighty)","voice_tone":"Grave, steady, with a gentle fall on ‘pañcatvam āgatāḥ’"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Sacred Geography
• Ancient Geography
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It provides a direct toponym (Pauṇḍarīka-tīrtha), valuable for indexing sacred geography and tracing tīrtha networks across Purāṇic corpora.

Which geographic location is identified?

Pauṇḍarīka-tīrtha is named; a precise modern identification requires corroboration from extended context, commentarial traditions, or regional tīrtha lists.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it frames human actions within mortality and consequence, reinforcing reflective engagement with conduct and place.