Varaha Purana 157.44: Adhyaya 157, Shloka 44
Praise of the Malayārjuna Sacred Ford and the Mathurā-Yamunā Pilgrimage Cycle
Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha Māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
नरो वाप्यथवा नारी प्राप्नोत्यविकलं फलम् ॥ तत्रैव तु तपस्तप्तं राज्ञा शन्तनुना पुरा ॥
naro vāpyathavā nārī prāpnotyavikalaṃ phalam || tatraiva tu tapastaptaṃ rājñā śantanunā purā
naro vApyathavA nArI prApnotyavikalaM phalam || tatraiva tu tapastaptaM rAj~nA shantanunA purA
आदमी हो या औरत, जो भी यहाँ आता है उसको पूरा फल मिलता है। यह जगह ऐसी है कि पुराने ज़माने में राजा शांतनु ने यहीं तपस्या की थी।
Sandhi Notes
- वाप्यथवा = वा + अपि + अथवा
- प्राप्नोत्यविकलम् = प्राप्नोति + अविकलम्
- तत्रैव = तत्र + एव
- तपस्तप्तम् = तपः + तप्तम् (visarga sandhi)
Varāha
Sacred places function as concentrated fields of merit; eligibility is broad (nara/nārī) when approached with dharma and śraddhā.
Encourage inclusive pilgrimage/observance; approach renowned sites with tapas-like discipline (restraint, simplicity, sincerity).
The tīrtha’s fruit is non-discriminatory: both men and women obtain ‘undiminished’ results; the site is validated by royal tapas precedent (Śantanu).
Observance yields akṣaya/avikala-phala; ignoring the tīrtha opportunity implies missing an especially validated merit-field.
Varāha Purāṇa 157.44-47 (solar worship, darśana, Saptamī bath, fruits)
FAQs
It links a tīrtha (sacred site) to a remembered royal figure (Śantanu), a common Purāṇic strategy for situating local sacred geography within epic-era cultural memory.
The verse refers to an already-established tīrtha context (“there itself”), but does not name the site in this line; identification depends on adjacent verses in Adhyāya 157.
The passage emphasizes equal access to ritual merit—both men and women can obtain the full result—framing sacred practice as broadly available.
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