Varaha Purana 157.8: Adhyaya 157, Shloka 8

Praise of the Malayārjuna Sacred Ford and the Mathurā-Yamunā Pilgrimage Cycle

Pūrva Bhāga · Tīrtha-māhātmya (Piṇḍa offerings at Yamunā; Bahulā-vana)

Devanagari script

धन्योऽसौ पिण्डनिर्वापं यमुनायां करिष्यति ॥ तत्रैव तु महातीर्थे वने बहुलसंज्ञके ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 157.8

Transliteration

dhanyo 'sau piṇḍanirvāpaṃ yamunāyāṃ kariṣyati || tatraiva tu mahātīrthe vane bahulasaṃjñake ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

जो इंसान यमुना में पिंड डालेगा, वो बहुत धन्य है। यह बहुल नाम के जंगल में है, एक बड़ा तीर्थ स्थान है वहाँ।

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Word by Word

• धन्यः: fortunate/blessed
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'असौ' इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• असौ: that person/he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पिण्ड-निर्वापम्: piṇḍa-offering (funeral oblation)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'पिण्डस्य निर्वापः' (offering of piṇḍa)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्वाप (प्रातिपदिक)

• यमुनायाम्: in the Yamunā
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; देशाधिकरण
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/देशाधिकरण)
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)

• करिष्यति: will do/perform
• Type: Verb
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)
• Role: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• तु: and/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• महा-तीर्थे: at the great sacred place
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—'महत् तीर्थम्' (in the great sacred ford/place)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/देशाधिकरण)
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)

• वने: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/देशाधिकरण)
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)

• बहुल-संज्ञके: called ‘Bahula’
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः—'बहुल इति संज्ञा यस्य तत्' (named 'Bahula'); 'वने/तीर्थे' इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: बहुल (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• धन्योऽसौ → धन्यः असौ
• तत्रैव → तत्र एव
• पिण्डनिर्वापम् → पिण्ड-निर्वापम्
• बहुलसंज्ञके → बहुल-संज्ञके।

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma of gratitude (ṛṇa)

Subjects

Heritage SitesAncestral OfferingsSacred RiversSacred Groves/Forests

Core idea

Pitṛ-ṛṇa is honored through tangible rites; sacred geography amplifies the intention and efficacy of ancestral offerings.

In practice

When performing śrāddha/piṇḍa rites, choose a recognized tīrtha, maintain śraddhā and cleanliness, and treat the act as repayment of ancestral debt.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Cultural Heritage
• River and Forest Landscapes
• Ritual Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It connects ancestral rites (piṇḍa offerings) with riverine and forest tīrthas, indicating how memorial practices were mapped onto specific ecological and geographic settings.

Which geographic location is identified?

Yamunā River and a forest/tīrtha named Bahulā-vana; the latter is a toponym within the Mathurā-region sacred geography preserved by Purāṇic tradition.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse highlights remembrance and responsibility toward ancestors, embedded within respectful engagement with a designated sacred landscape.