Varaha Purana 137.47: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 47

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Devanagari script

ये मृतास्तस्य क्षेत्रस्य सौकरस्य प्रभावतः ॥ शङ्खचक्रगदापद्मधनुर्हस्ताश्चतुर्भुजाः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 137.47

Transliteration

ye mṛtās tasya kṣetrasya saukarasya prabhāvataḥ || śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma-dhanur-hastāś caturbhujāḥ

Translation

जो लोग उस ज़मीन में मर जाते हैं, वो वहाँ की ताकत से विष्णु जैसा हो जाते हैं। उनके चार हाथ हो जाते हैं। हाथों में शंख, चक्र, गदा, कमल और धनुष होता है।

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Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mṛtāḥ: dead / having died
• mṛtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त; √mṛ (धातु))
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); used adjectivally

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• kṣetrasya: of the sacred field/place
• kṣetrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• saukarasya: of the boar (Varāha)-related
• saukarasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saukara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjectival noun (तद्धित), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) agreeing with kṣetra, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• prabhāvataḥ: by the power (of)
• prabhāvataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/ablative sense), meaning “because of/through the power of”

• śaṅkha: conch
• śaṅkha: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Stem form used as compound member (समासाङ्ग)

• cakra: discus
• cakra: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Stem form used as compound member (समासाङ्ग)

• gadā: mace
• gadā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Stem form used as compound member (समासाङ्ग)

• padma: lotus
• padma: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Stem form used as compound member (समासाङ्ग)

• dhanus: bow
• dhanus: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Stem form used as compound member (समासाङ्ग)

• hastāḥ: having conch, discus, mace, lotus and bow in (their) hands
• hastāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of ye)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma-dhanur-hasta (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) adjective: “having X in the hands”; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• caturbhujāḥ: four-armed
• caturbhujāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of ye)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur-bhuja (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) adjective; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

Speaker

Varāha (default, dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇava Iconography
• Purāṇic Sacred Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a standardized Vaiṣṇava iconographic vocabulary used in Purāṇic literature to express proximity to the divine through emblematic attributes.

Which geographic location is identified?

The place is referenced as “that kṣetra” associated with “Saukara”; the excerpt does not provide a modern identification.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse implies that disciplined engagement with a sacred landscape is linked to transformative post-mortem outcomes, reinforcing the ethic of regulated pilgrimage/vow.