Varaha Purana 150.27: Adhyaya 150, Shloka 27

The Sacred Greatness of Sānandūra

Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Topography)

Devanagari script

बहुगुल्मलताकीर्णं शोभितं च विहङ्गमैः ॥ समुद्रस्य तु पार्श्वेन ह्यदूरात्तत्र योजनात् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 150.27

Transliteration

bahu-gulma-latākīrṇaṃ śobhitaṃ ca vihaṅgamaiḥ || samudrasya tu pārśvena hy adūrāt tatra yojanāt ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

वहाँ बहुत सारे पेड़-पौधे और बेल-बूटियाँ हैं। चिड़ियाँ भी वहाँ खूब हैं। यह जगह समुंदर के पास है, ज़्यादा दूर नहीं। एक योजन की दूरी पे है।

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Word by Word

• बहु-गुल्म-लता-कीर्णम्: filled with many shrubs and creepers
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) 'कीर्ण' = 'strewn/filled'; विशेषण (implied of कुण्डम्/स्थानम्)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + gulma (प्रातिपदिक) + latā (प्रातिपदिक) + kīrṇa (कृदन्त; √kṝ/कॄ 'to scatter')

• शोभितम्: adorned
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle); विशेषण
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: śobhita (कृदन्त; √śubh/शुभ् 'to shine/beautify')

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• विहङ्गमैः: by birds
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (instrumental pl)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: vihaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)

• समुद्रस्य: of the ocean
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (genitive sg)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• पार्श्वेन: by the side
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (instrumental sg; used adverbially 'along/at the side')
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle: 'for/indeed')
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: hi (अव्यय)

• अदूरात्: from not far (away)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (ablative sg; used adverbially)
• Role: Apadana (अपादान)
• Root: adūra (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)

• योजनात्: from a yojana (distance)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (ablative sg; measure)
• Role: Apadana (अपादान)
• Root: yojana (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• बहुगुल्मलताकीर्णं is a multi-member compound
• ह्यदूरात् = हि + अदूरात् (यण्/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि with contraction)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Coastal sacred grove/pond precinct

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious, receptive to ecological description

What she asks

What is the environment like around that kuṇḍa, and how far is it from the ocean?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma of place-care (implicit ecological ethic)

Subjects

GeographyEcologyHeritage Sites

Core idea

Sacredness is not only ritual but also the flourishing of life—birds and vegetation become markers of a sattvic, protected landscape.

In practice

Treat tīrtha precincts as protected commons: avoid harming flora/fauna; maintain cleanliness and quiet conducive to living beings.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Varāha continues guiding Bhū-devī through ecological and spatial details of the tīrtha.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Ecological Ethics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents how Purāṇic texts encode landscape observation—vegetation, birdlife, and distance measures—within tīrtha narratives.

Which geographic location is identified?

A site near the ocean, approximately one yojana away; exact modern identification remains indeterminate without further toponyms.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse implicitly frames biodiverse surroundings (plants and birds) as integral to the value of a sacred site, supporting conservation-minded reading.