Varaha Purana 141.2: Adhyaya 141, Shloka 2

The Sacred Greatness of Badarikāśrama

Badrinath Region

Pūrva Bhāga · Badarikāśrama-Māhātmya (Sacred Geography & Pilgrimage Merit)

Devanagari script

न तत्प्राप्नोति मनुजः कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम् ॥ प्राप्नुवन्ति च भक्ताः ये बदरीं विश्वतारिणीम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 141.2

Transliteration

na tatprāpnoti manujaḥ kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram | prāpnuvanti ca bhaktā ye badarīṁ viśvatāriṇīm ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

इंसान इतना मुश्किल काम करके भी वहाँ नहीं पहुँच सकता। पर जो भक्त बदरी तक जाते हैं, वो दुनिया से पार करने वाली जगह पा लेते हैं।

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Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• tat: that (state/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)

• prāpnoti: attains
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)

• manujaḥ: a man/human
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक)

• kṛtvā: having done
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), ‘having done’
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (कृदन्त)

• karma: action/rite
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)

• su-duṣkaram: very difficult
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) intensifier ‘very difficult’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (qualifying karma)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of karma
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)

• prāpnuvanti: attain
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• bhaktāḥ: devotees
• Type: Noun
• Form: Past passive participle used as noun (क्तान्त-प्रातिपदिक), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: bhakta (कृदन्त; bhaj धातु)

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

• badarīm: Badarī (place)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: badarī (प्रातिपदिक)

• viśva-tāriṇīm: world-saving / who carries across the world
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘viśvaṁ tārayati’ (she who ferries/saves the world); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (qualifying badarīm)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of badarīm
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + tāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक; from tṛ धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• tatprāpnoti = tat prāpnoti
• suduṣkaram = su-duṣkaram
• viśvatāriṇīm = viśva-tāriṇīm.

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Tīrtha / mokṣa-kṣetra

Speaker

Varāha (contextual continuation)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Attentive, seeking the means of true attainment

What she asks

How can devotees attain what even severe human effort cannot—what is the special efficacy of reaching Badarī?

The teaching

Path

Bhakti Soteriology

Subjects

Heritage SitesEthicsPilgrimage Culture

Core idea

Devotion and right refuge can yield what extreme self-driven exertion cannot; tīrtha is a catalyst for grace.

In practice

Prioritize bhakti, purity of intent, and pilgrimage undertaken as surrender rather than as spiritual ‘achievement’.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Varāha extols the salvific power of reaching Badarī for devotees; interaction is pedagogical toward Bhū.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Ancient Geography
• Pilgrimage Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies the Purāṇic valuation of tīrtha visitation and devotion as efficient means to religious merit and liberation-oriented aims, informing the social history of pilgrimage networks.

Which geographic location is identified?

Badarī/Badarikāśrama, associated with the Himalayan pilgrimage landscape (often correlated with Badrinath).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Prioritize sincerity and devotion (bhakti) over mere extremity of ritual labor.