Varaha Purana 165.12: Adhyaya 165, Shloka 12
The Glory of Mathurā: The Account of Piṇḍa-Offering at the Catuḥsāmudrika Well
Uttara Bhāga (traditional classification; chapter-level placement may vary by recension) · Supernatural Encounter (tree as refuge; presence of a preta)
गते सार्थे तु स वणिक् तं वृक्षं समुपाश्रितः ॥ तत्रैव वसति प्रेतो रौद्ररूपो भयानकः ॥
gate sārthe tu sa vaṇik taṃ vṛkṣaṃ samupāśritaḥ | tatraiva vasati preto raudrarūpo bhayānakaḥ ||
gate sArthe tu sa vaNik taM vRRikShaM samupAshritaH || tatraiva vasati preto raudrarUpo bhayAnakaH
जब कारवाँ चला गया, वो सौदागर उस पेड़ के नीचे बैठ गया। वहाँ एक भूत रहता था। उसका चेहरा इतना डरावना था कि देख के दिल डर जाए।
Sandhi Notes
- तत्रैव = तत्र + एव
- saptamī absolute: गते सार्थे = 'when the caravan had gone'
Varāha
When communal protection (sārtha) leaves, the individual faces the unseen consequences of place and past deeds; ‘space’ is morally textured.
Avoid reckless solitude; seek sattvic company and protected spaces; perform protective rites when compelled to stay in uncertain places.
Implicit cautionary ethic: solitary sheltering in liminal places (trees/cremation-adjacent spots) invites contact with preta-realms; choose safe, dharmic lodging.
Negligence and isolation in impure/haunted loci can lead to fear, harm, or entanglement with preta-afflictions (bhaya/upaśarga).
Varāha Purāṇa 165.14 (description of the preta’s form); Varāha Purāṇa 165.16 (preta approaches dancing; dialogue begins)
FAQs
It documents a widely attested Indic narrative motif: liminal spaces (deserts, solitary trees) as sites of encounter with pretas, reflecting cultural conceptions of unsettled death and fear as a moral catalyst.
No precise place-name is given here beyond the previously mentioned desert setting; the locus is marked symbolically by “that tree” as a narrative landmark.
The verse frames vulnerability (isolation after the caravan’s departure) as the condition under which fear and moral decision-making will be tested.
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