Varaha Purana 159.6: Adhyaya 159, Shloka 6

The Procedure and Merit of Circumambulating Mathurā

Devanagari script

भूम्याः परिक्रमॆ सम्यक्योजनानां प्रमाणकम् ॥ षष्टिकोṭिसहस्राणि षष्टिकोṭिशतानि च ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 159.6

Transliteration

bhūmyāḥ parikrame samyak yojanānāṃ pramāṇakam || ṣaṣṭi-koṭi-sahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭi-koṭi-śatāni ca ||

Translation

जब पूरी धरती का परिक्रमा करते हैं, तो उसका नाप योजनों में यह है। सठियों के हज़ारों और सठियों के सौ, इतना लंबा है यह मान।

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Word by Word

• भूम्याः: of the earth
• भूम्याः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• परिक्रमे: in the circumambulation / circuit
• परिक्रमे: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सम्यक्: properly, correctly
• सम्यक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas (distance units)
• योजनानाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रमाणकम्: the measure, the standard
• प्रमाणकम्: कर्ता/विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• षष्टि-कोटि-सहस्राणि: sixty crores of thousands (i.e., 60×10^7×10^3 units)
• षष्टि-कोटि-सहस्राणि: कर्ता/विधेय (Predicate/quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्या-समास (numerical determinative)

• षष्टि-कोटि-शतानि: sixty crores of hundreds
• षष्टि-कोटि-शतानि: कर्ता/विधेय (Predicate/quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्या-समास (numerical determinative)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (Conjunction)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Metrology
• Purāṇic Cosmography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a metrological idiom (yojana) and large-number rhetoric typical of Purāṇic cosmography, relevant to the history of Indian measurement concepts.

Which geographic location is identified?

The Earth as a whole; the verse provides a global-scale measure rather than a local itinerary.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It frames sacred geography as systematic knowledge—counted, measured, and communicated—rather than purely emotive description.