Varaha Purana 149.4: Adhyaya 149, Shloka 4

The Sacred Geography and Merit of Dvārakā

Pūrva Bhāga · Pr̥thivī’s Inquiry (Praise and Request for Higher Teaching)

Devanagari script

एवं हि गुणमाहात्म्यं स्तुतस्वामिनि मच्छ्रुतम् ॥ अस्माच्छेदं परं श्रेष्ठं तन्मे वद कृपानिधे ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 149.4

Transliteration

evaṃ hi guṇamāhātmyaṃ stutasvāmini macchrutam || asmāc chedaṃ paraṃ śreṣṭhaṃ tan me vada kṛpānidhe

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

मैंने सुना है आपके गुण कितने बड़े हैं। आपकी स्तुति होती है। अब मुझे बताइए, इसके बाद और क्या बड़ा और बेस्ट चीज़ है। आप तो दया के खजाने हैं।

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: ‘thus’)
• Role: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)

• हि: indeed; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Root: हि (अव्यय)

• गुण-माहात्म्यम्: the greatness of the qualities
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुणस्य माहात्म्यम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्तुत-स्वामिनि: in/unto the praised Lord (O Lord who is praised)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—स्तुतः स्वामी यस्मिन्/यः (addressed: ‘in/unto the praised lord’)
• Role: Sambodhana/Adhikarana (सम्बोधन/अधिकरण)
• Root: स्तुत (कृदन्त; √स्तु धातु, क्त) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• मत्-श्रुतम्: heard by me
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मया श्रुतम् = heard by me); विशेषणम् (गुणमाहात्म्यम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु, क्त)

• अस्मात्: from this; from me/this (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• छेदम्: cutting; section; solution
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: छेद (प्रातिपदिक)

• परम्: supreme; highest
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (छेदम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)

• श्रेष्ठम्: best
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (छेदम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्: that
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (refers to the ‘best supreme section/teaching’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मे: to me; for me
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; enclitic form
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वद: tell; speak
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Root: √वद् (धातु)

• कृपा-निधे: O treasure of compassion
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृपायाः निधिः)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• मच्छ्रुतम् = मत् + श्रुतम् (त् + श् → च्छ्)
• अस्माच्छेदम् = अस्मात् + छेदम् (त् + छ् → च्छ्)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasaSetting: Dialogue-setting (purāṇic frame)

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

Her state of mind

Curious, reverent, seeking higher guidance

What she asks

What teaching is higher and most excellent beyond the already-heard praise of your qualities?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemic humility / adhikāra for higher knowledge

Subjects

DialogueEthicsRequest for InstructionTextual Framing

Core idea

Stuti is not the end; one should seek para-śreṣṭha (higher, excellent) upadeśa from the compassionate Lord.

In practice

After learning basic virtues or narratives, ask for the next, more transformative instruction (guhya/parama) and apply it in conduct.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Pṛthivī addresses the Lord with praise and petitions him for higher instruction beyond what has been heard.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Vaishnavism
• Didactic Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It shows the pedagogical form common in Purāṇas: a listener requests a ‘higher’ teaching, prompting the next doctrinal or narrative unit.

Which geographic location is identified?

None in this verse; it is a conversational pivot rather than a place description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Inquiry and humility are presented as appropriate methods for receiving authoritative instruction.