Varaha Purana 149.78: Adhyaya 149, Shloka 78
The Sacred Geography and Merit of Dvārakā
Uttara Bhāga (traditional division; exact recension may vary) · Kṣetra-māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
पापिनां यस्तु दुर्दर्शः सुदृश्यः पुण्यचारिणाम् ॥ तस्य दक्षिणपार्श्वेन अश्वत्थो वै महाद्रुमः ॥
pāpināṃ yas tu durdarśaḥ sudṛśyaḥ puṇyacāriṇām || tasya dakṣiṇapārśvena aśvattho vai mahādrumaḥ ||
pApinAM yastu durdarshaH sudRRishyaH puNyachAriNAm || tasya dakShiNapArshvena ashvattho vai mahAdrumaH
यह चीज़ पापी लोगों को दिखती नहीं। जो लोग अच्छे काम करते हैं, उन्हें साफ दिखती है। इसके दाएँ तरफ एक बड़ा पेड़ है, अश्वत्थ।
Sandhi Notes
- यस्तु = यः + तु
- दक्षिणपार्श्वेन is a tatpuruṣa compound
- other words largely unsandhied
Varāha
Curious, morally attentive
Why is the sacred marvel selectively visible, and what landmark marks its position within the site?
Ethical purity conditions spiritual perception; sin veils, merit unveils.
Cultivate puṇya through truthful living, restraint, and purification before pilgrimage; honor sacred trees as living supports for contemplation and worship.
Varāha explains to Bhūmi that the marvel’s darśana is ethically conditioned (hidden from sinners, visible to the meritorious) and locates an aśvattha on its southern side.
Selective visibility encodes the doctrine that reality is perceived according to purity of mind (antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi); the aśvattha signifies the cosmic tree and continuity of dharma.
Aśvattha is a classic yajña-associated tree (sacred wood, ritual shade); ‘south’ can hint at Yama-direction—purity overcomes deathward tendencies to gain divine vision.
Darśana depends on sattva and purification; the ‘seen by the pure’ aligns with the idea that Brahman/Īśvara is not an object for impure cognition but is revealed to the purified mind.
Sin obstructs darśana; merit and righteous conduct make the sacred visible—implying purification/atonement is prerequisite for access to higher tīrtha-vision.
Wrongdoers are deprived of darśana (spiritual blindness); the meritorious gain clear vision and access to the site’s grace.
Aśvattha worship is common in Vaiṣṇava practice.
149.85 introduces the ‘marvel’; 149.86 specifies its visibility condition and landmark
FAQs
It records a tree landmark (aśvattha) in a kṣetra description, reflecting how living ecological features functioned as durable heritage markers.
A southern-side aśvattha landmark is specified, but the broader site name requires adjacent verses for firm identification.
The verse links moral practice (puṇyacaryā) with clarity of perception and access to sacred experience.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
