Varaha Purana 137.96: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 96

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

Uttara Bhāga (approx.; internal division varies by recension) · Tīrtha-phala / Merit of bathing (ritual geography)

Devanagari script

स्नानादाखोटके तीर्थे यत्फलं समुपाश्नुते ॥ दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 137.96

Transliteration

snānād ākhōṭake tīrthe yatphalaṁ samupāśnute || daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśavarṣaśatāni ca ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

आखोटका तीर्थ में नहाने से जो पुण्य मिलता है, वो दस हज़ार साल तक रहता है। और सौ-सौ साल के हिसाब से भी।

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Word by Word

• स्नानात्: from bathing; by bathing
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)

• आखोटके: at Ākhōṭaka
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: आखोटक (प्रातिपदिक)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred place (tīrtha)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)

• यत्: which; whatever
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; relative pronoun
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)

• समुपाश्नुते: attains; enjoys
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; √अश् = to attain/enjoy
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: सम्+उप+अश् (धातु)

• दश-वर्ष-सहस्राणि: ten-thousands of years
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास: ‘ten-thousand years’ (lit. ten-year-thousands)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• दश-वर्ष-शतानि: ten hundreds of years
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास: ‘ten hundreds of years’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• स्नानादाखोटके = स्नानात् + आखोटके
• यत्फलं = यत् + फलम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Tīrtha (bathing place)

Speaker

Narrator/Instructor voice

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Karma/puṇya economy in tīrtha culture

Subjects

Heritage SitesGeographyEthics

Core idea

Ritual acts at specific sacred geographies amplify karmic merit across long temporal spans.

In practice

Undertake tīrtha-snāna with faith, purity, and right intention; integrate pilgrimage into a dharmic life as periodic renewal.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Purāṇic Ritual Culture
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

Merit-quantification (in years) is a standard Purāṇic device that helps identify tīrtha-māhātmya layers and ritual-economy discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

Ākhoṭaka tīrtha; its modern identification is uncertain without additional regional or manuscript context.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It promotes disciplined ritual practice framed as cultural heritage behavior linked to specific sacred landscapes.