Varaha Purana 144.116: Adhyaya 144, Shloka 116

The Māhātmya of Someśvara and Related Liṅgas: The Liberation-Field of Triveṇī and the Śālagrāma Sacred Landscape

Pūrva Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Gaṇḍakī as Bhukti–Mukti Site)

Devanagari script

यस्यास्त्समतां कन्या लभेद्गङ्गां विना नदीम् ॥ यत्र सा परमा पुण्या गण्डकी भुक्तिमुक्तिदा

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 144.116

Transliteration

yasyāstatsamatāṁ kānyā labhed gaṅgāṁ vinā nadīm || yatra sā paramā puṇyā gaṇḍakī bhuktimuktidā

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

गंगा के बिना कोई नदी कैसे किसी कन्या के लायक हो सकती है? गंडकी नदी बड़ी पुण्य वाली है। यह दुनिया का सुख देती है और मुक्ति भी देती है।

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Word by Word

• yasyāḥ: of which/whose
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• asti: there is
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present/लट्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √as (धातु)

• samatām: equality/likeness
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: samatā (प्रातिपदिक)

• kanyā: a maiden/daughter
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)

• labhet: would obtain
• Type: Verb
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √labh (धातु)

• gaṅgām: Ganga
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)

• vinā: without
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), preposition-like particle governing Accusative (द्वितीयार्थक-निपात)
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)

• nadīm: a river
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)

• yatra: where
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), relative adverb (सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)

• sā: she/that (river)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• paramā: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying sā
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)

• puṇyā: holy/meritorious
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying sā
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)

• gaṇḍakī: Gandaki (river)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: gaṇḍakī (प्रातिपदिक)

• bhukti-mukti-dā: giver of worldly enjoyment and liberation
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); upapada-tatpuruṣa (उपपद-तत्पुरुष): "giver of enjoyment and liberation"; adjective of gaṇḍakī
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: bhukti (प्रातिपदिक) + mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• yasyāstatsamatām → yasyāḥ + asti + samatām
• labhed gaṅgām → labhet + gaṅgām (sandhi voicing)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: River/tīrtha corridor

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Tirtha-mahatmya (soteriology through sacred space)

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesEthics

Core idea

A tīrtha can function as a bridge from dharmic prosperity to liberation; sanctity is not monopolized by a single river though Gaṅgā is the benchmark.

In practice

Approach tīrthas with śraddhā; perform snāna, japa, and dāna at Gaṇḍakī with the intention of both ethical living (bhukti) and inner release (mukti).

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Cultural Heritage
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents the elevation of regional rivers into pan-Indic pilgrimage networks by comparing them to the Gaṅgā, a standard strategy in tīrtha-māhātmya composition.

Which geographic location is identified?

Gaṇḍakī is named explicitly; in historical geography it is associated with the Gandaki river system (notably in the Himalayan foothill regions, including present-day Nepal and adjoining areas).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames the river as a protected cultural landscape whose value is both social (well-being) and philosophical (liberation), encouraging respectful engagement with natural heritage.