Varaha Purana 163.59: Adhyaya 163, Shloka 59

The Greatness of Kapila-Varāha: The Efficacy of Vaikuṇṭha Tīrtha and the Installation History of the Varāha Image

Uttara Bhāga · Mathurā Māhātmya (Comparative Merit Statements)

Devanagari script

गयायां पिण्डदानेन यत्फलं ज्येष्ठपुष्करे ॥ तत्फलं समवाप्नोति श्वेतं दृष्ट्वा सदा नरः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 163.59

Transliteration

gayāyāṃ piṇḍadānena yatphalaṃ jyeṣṭhapuṣkare || tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti śvetaṃ dṛṣṭvā sadā naraḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

गया में पिंड दान करने जो फल मिलता है, और ज्येष्ठ पुष्कर में जो मिलता है, वही फल मिलता है। बस श्वेत को देखने से वो फल मिल जाता है, यह बात साफ है।

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Word by Word

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)

• पिण्डदानेन: by offering a piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य दानम्)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: पिण्डदान (प्रातिपदिक; पिण्ड + दान)

• यत्: which
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्येष्ठपुष्करे: in Jyeṣṭha-puṣkara (the sacred Puṣkara)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (ज्येष्ठं पुष्करम्)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: ज्येष्ठपुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक; ज्येष्ठ + पुष्कर)

• तत्: that
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)

• समवाप्नोति: obtains/attains
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: अव्/आप्-भावार्थ (to obtain)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: अव् (धातु) + सम्-उपसर्ग

• श्वेतम्: Śveta (a person/deity named Śveta)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेष्य: (देव/पुरुष-नामरूपेण)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/त्वान्त), ‘having seen’
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Root: दृश् (धातु)

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)
• Role: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)

• नरः: a man/person
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• यत्फलं → यत् + फलम्
• तत्फलं → तत् + फलम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Hopeful, reassured about accessible merit

What she asks

How can mere darśana of ‘Śveta’ confer the same fruit as major śrāddha-tīrthas like Gayā and Puṣkara?

The teaching

Path

Tirtha Theology

Subjects

GeographyHeritage Sites

Core idea

Bhagavat-darśana can concentrate and surpass tīrtha-merit; sacred efficacy is not only travel-based but presence-based.

In practice

If unable to undertake distant pilgrimages/śrāddha-tīrthas, maintain faithful regular darśana at an authorized shrine, with remembrance of ancestors and devotion.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It links multiple pilgrimage geographies (Gayā, Puṣkara) through a comparative ‘merit equivalence’ formula, a common Purāṇic strategy for mapping sacred networks.

Which geographic location is identified?

Gayā (Bihar) and Puṣkara (Rajasthan) are named; the verse also introduces Śveta as the focal object of darśana in the local context.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It encourages sustained remembrance/visitation (regular darśana) framed as a disciplined practice comparable to renowned pilgrimage rites.