Varaha Purana 39.59: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 59

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-vrata (Observances) — Dharaṇī-vrata Phalaśruti

Devanagari script

अनेन विधिना यस्तु धरणीव्रतकृन्नरः । तस्य पुण्यफलं चाग्र्यं शृणु बुद्धिमतां वर ॥ ३९.५९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.59

Transliteration

anena vidhinā yastu dharaṇī-vrata-kṛn naraḥ | tasya puṇya-phalaṃ cāgryaṃ śṛṇu buddhimatāṃ vara || 39.59 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

But the person who undertakes the Dharaṇī-vrata according to this procedure—listen, O best among the wise—attains an excellent fruit of merit.

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Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: ‘by this’)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• विधिना: by the rule/procedure
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)

• यः: who
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed, but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (emphatic/contrastive particle)
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• धरणी-व्रत-कृत्: performer of the Dharaṇī-vrata
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (धरण्याः व्रतम्; तत् करोति इति); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; नरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्/समानााधिकरणम्
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक; agent-noun from कृ)

• नरः: man
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular)
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पुण्य-फलम्: the fruit of merit
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘पुण्यस्य फलम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• अग्र्यम्: excellent, supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुण्यफलम् इति विशेषणम् (excellent/supreme)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• शृणु: hear
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (hear!)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: श्रु (धातु)

• बुद्धिमताम्: of the wise
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• वर: O best one
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• यस्तु = यः + तु
• चाग्र्यम् = च + अग्र्यम्
• धरणीव्रतकृन् = धरणी-व्रत-कृत् (समास)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Didactic/ritual context

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Vrata-teleology (means and end)

Subjects

EthicsRitual Observances (Vrata)Environmental Stewardship (Earth-centered vow)

Core idea

Right method (vidhi) is integral to right result (phala); dharma is efficacious when embodied as disciplined practice.

In practice

Follow the prescribed steps of the Dharaṇī-vrata carefully; treat Earth-supporting conduct as sacred duty.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Earth-centered vow is invoked (Dharaṇī-vrata), implying reverence toward Bhū as sacred support, though no direct interaction is narrated in this verse.

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharma-śāstra Interface
• Ecological Ethics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It functions as a transitional phalaśruti-style statement typical of Purāṇic composition, introducing the promised outcomes of a specific observance (Dharaṇī-vrata) and reflecting the text’s didactic framing of ethical-ritual practice.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it refers broadly to Dharaṇī (Earth) as the conceptual focus of the vow rather than a pilgrimage site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes disciplined adherence to a stated method (vidhi) and frames the observance as yielding commendable merit, encouraging conscientious practice oriented toward Dharaṇī (Earth) within the work’s broader Earth-restoration thematic.