Varaha Purana 175.14: Adhyaya 175, Shloka 14

The Sanctity of the Kṛṣṇagaṅgā Pilgrimage-Ford and the Account of the Brahmin Vasu’s Daughter

Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha practice: bone/ash immersion and merit narrative

Devanagari script

कन्याऽस्थीनि तु सङ्गृह्य मथुरामाजगाम ह॥ श्रुत्वा पुराणे पतितमर्धचन्द्रेऽस्थिपातनम्॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 175.14

Transliteration

kanyā'sthīni tu saṅgṛhya mathurām ājagāma ha || śrutvā purāṇe patitam ardhacandre 'sthipātanam

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Rassemblant les ossements de la jeune fille, il se rendit à Mathurā. Il avait entendu dans un Purāṇa parler du dépôt des os à Ardhacandra, lieu sacré.

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Word by Word

• kanyā-asthīni: the girl’s bones
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—कन्यायाः अस्थीनि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); object of saṅgṛhya
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + asthi (प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: but/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• saṅgṛhya: having gathered
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having collected’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया—पूर्वकर्म)
• Root: sam-√grah (ग्रह्) धातु; saṅgṛhya (क्त्वान्त)

• mathurām: to Mathurā
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; destination as object with motion verb
• Role: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Root: mathurā (प्रातिपदिक)

• ājagāma: came
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect: ‘came’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: ā-√gam (गम्) धातु

• ha: indeed (narrative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: स्मृत्यर्थक/कथानक-निपात (narrative particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: ha (अव्यय)

• śrutvā: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having heard’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया—पूर्वकर्म)
• Root: √śru (श्रु) धातु; śrutvā (क्त्वान्त)

• purāṇe: in the Purāṇa
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative: ‘in the Purāṇa/ancient account’
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)

• patitam: fallen
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies asthipātanam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: √pat (पत्) धातु; patita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• ardhacandre: on the half-moon (place/mark)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—अर्धः चन्द्रः = ‘half-moon’; locative ‘on/at the half-moon (mark)’
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + candra (प्रातिपदिक)

• asthi-pātanam: the casting/throwing of bones
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—अस्थीनां पातनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); object of śrutvā (heard about)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक) + pātana (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• कन्याऽस्थीनि → कन्या अस्थीनि (आ + अ)
• मथुरामाजगाम → मथुराम् आजगाम
• अर्धचन्द्रेऽस्थिपातनम् → अर्धचन्द्रे अस्थिपातनम् (ए + अ)।

Speaker and setting

Karuna and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha to Pṛthivī

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious (inquirer framework)

The teaching

Path

Karma/saṃskāra Dharma

Subjects

Heritage SitesRitual PracticeGeography

Core idea

Śraddhā expressed through proper antyeṣṭi-ancillary rites links the living’s action to the departed’s gati (post-mortem course).

In practice

Perform asthi-saṅgraha with care and consign remains at an authorized tīrtha with remembrance and offerings.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Geography
• Funerary/Rite Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates how Purāṇic texts authorize and circulate pilgrimage-related funerary practices by citing earlier scriptural precedent ('heard in a Purāṇa').

Which geographic location is identified?

Mathurā is explicit; Ardhacandra is named as a tīrtha or ritual locus, requiring broader textual comparison to identify its exact site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The narrative frames care for the deceased and adherence to culturally sanctioned rites as a form of duty and remembrance.