Varaha Purana 165.67: Adhyaya 165, Shloka 67

The Glory of Mathurā: The Account of Piṇḍa-Offering at the Catuḥsāmudrika Well

Devanagari script

कथं धारयसॆ प्राणान्वृक्षमूलं समाश्रितः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 165.67

Transliteration

kathaṃ dhārayase prāṇān vṛkṣamūlaṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

तुम पेड़ के नीचे रह रहे हो। तुम्हारा कैसे चल रहा है? तुम कैसे जीते हो?

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Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• धारयसि: you sustain/hold
• धारयसि: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; पाठानुसार 'धारयसॆ' इति लेखे, अर्थतः 'धारयसि'

• प्राणान्: life-breaths/vital airs
• प्राणान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• वृक्ष-मूलम्: the root of a tree
• वृक्ष-मूलम्: कर्म/अधिकरण (object/locative sense with 'समाश्रितः')
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (of a tree); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायाः/आश्रयार्थे कर्मवत्

• समाश्रितः: having taken refuge (at)
• समाश्रितः: कर्तृविशेषण (subject-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'having resorted to/being dependent on'

Speaker

Varāha (default frame; question to the afflicted figure)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ascetic Motifs
• Ecological Imagery
• Purāṇic Dialogue

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a common narrative image of marginal survival and refuge in nature, useful for studying how texts encode human-environment relations.

Which geographic location is identified?

None; it describes a forest-like setting via 'vṛkṣamūla' (tree root).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It foregrounds inquiry into suffering and survival, a narrative prompt for compassionate or instructive response.