Varaha Purana 151.5: Adhyaya 151, Shloka 5

The Sacred Greatness of Lohārgala

The ‘Iron-Bolt’ Tīrtha

Uttara Bhāga · Kṣetra-Māhātmya (Sacred Geography) — Lohārgala Narrative

Devanagari script

गद्गदं वचनं श्रुत्वा पृथिव्याः स जनार्दनः ॥ उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं सर्वलोकार्त्तिहा हरिः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 151.5

Transliteration

gadgadaṁ vacanaṁ śrutvā pṛthivyāḥ sa janārdanaḥ | uvāca madhuraṁ vākyaṁ sarvalokārttihā hariḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

पृथ्वी ने जो बात बोली, उसमें बहुत इमोशन था। जनार्दन ने वो सुन लिया। वो हरि है, जो सब दुनिया के तकलीफ दूर करता है। उसने बहुत प्यार से जवाब दिया।

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Word by Word

• gadgadam: stammering, faltering
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2 विभक्ति), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: gadgada (प्रातिपदिक)

• vacanam: speech, words
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)

• śrutvā: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having heard)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: śru (धातु)

• pṛthivyāḥ: of the Earth (goddess)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6 विभक्ति), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• janārdanaḥ: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (epithet)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)

• uvāca: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: vac (धातु)

• madhuram: sweet, pleasant
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), एकवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक)

• vākyam: statement, utterance
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarva-loka-ārti-hā: destroyer of the distress of all worlds
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ārti-hā = ‘destroyer of suffering’; sarvaloka- = ‘of all worlds’)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु/प्रातिपदिक-हन्)

• hariḥ: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• gadgadaṁ vacanaṁ (विशेषण-विशेष्य)
• sarvalokārttihā = sarva-loka-ārti-hā (समास)
• अन्यत्र स्पष्ट पदविभागः।

Speaker and setting

Karuna and Shanta rasaSetting: Narrative hinge (response-introduction)

Speaker

Sūta / Narratorial voice (introducing Hari’s response)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She listens

Her state of mind

Emotionally overwhelmed (gadgada), vulnerable yet devoted

What she asks

Implicitly continues from her inquiry about further secret kṣetras; the narrative signals Varāha’s forthcoming answer.

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Divine pedagogy / grace

Subjects

Dialogue framingEthicsCosmology

Core idea

True instruction is compassionate: the Lord answers distress with sweetness (mādhurya) and guidance, not mere authority.

In practice

When teaching or advising, respond to emotional states with gentleness; in devotion, bring one’s distress honestly to the divine for guidance.

The Varaha avatara

Aspect

Compassion

With the Earth

Hari/Janārdana responds to Bhūdevī’s emotion-choked speech with ‘madhura vākya’—a gentle, consoling instruction to follow.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It functions as a narrative hinge typical of Purāṇic dialogue: the inquirer’s emotional speech prompts the authoritative response, shaping the didactic structure of the chapter.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific location is named in this verse; it introduces the forthcoming instruction that later situates events in a named kṣetra.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse models compassionate, measured speech in response to distress—an interpersonal ethic embedded in the dialogue form.