Varaha Purana 141.35: Adhyaya 141, Shloka 35

The Sacred Greatness of Badarikāśrama

Badrinath Region

Devanagari script

अस्ति पञ्चशिरं नाम तस्मिन्गुह्यं परं मम ॥ ब्रह्मणा छिद्यते यत्र शिरश्चैव महाद्युति ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 141.35

Transliteration

asti pañcaśiraṃ nāma tasmin guhyaṃ paraṃ mama || brahmaṇā chidyate yatra śiraś caiva mahādyuti ||

Translation

वहाँ एक जगह है जिसका नाम पंचशिरा है। यह मेरी गुप्त जगह है। वहाँ ब्रह्मा ने एक चमकदार सर काटा था।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• पञ्चशिरम्: (a place/thing) named ‘five-headed’
• पञ्चशिरम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Name-marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (particle indicating appellation: ‘by name’)

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक (m./n.), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• परम्: supreme / highest
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument or Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• छिद्यते: is cut / is severed
• छिद्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative locative adverb: ‘where’)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म/Object; patient of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction ‘and’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’)

• महाद्युति: O great-lustrous one
• महाद्युति: Sambodhana/Viśeṣya (सम्बोधन/Addressed entity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाद्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); संबोधनार्थे विशेषणवत् (epithet)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Mythic Topography
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a toponym (Pañcaśira) and a mythic etiological episode, typical of Purāṇic strategies for sacralizing landscapes through narrative.

Which geographic location is identified?

A sacred locale named Pañcaśira; it is not securely mapped to a single modern site and is generally treated as mytho-geographic within the Meru complex.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse signals reverence toward culturally marked places and narratives, encouraging careful custodianship of sites tied to collective memory.