Varaha Purana 169.16: Adhyaya 169, Shloka 16

The Greatness of Mathurā: The Ardhacandra Sacred Bathing Rite and the Procedure for the Yajñopavīta Observance

Devanagari script

यावदस्थीन्यर्द्धचन्द्रं यस्य तिष्ठन्ति देहिनः ॥ तावत्सुपुण्यकर्त्ता च स्वर्गलोके महीयते ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 169.16

Transliteration

yāvad asthīny arddhacandraṃ yasya tiṣṭhanti dehinaḥ || tāvat supuṇyakarttā ca svargaloke mahīyate ||

Translation

जब तक किसी इंसान की हड्डियाँ अर्धचंद्र में रहती हैं, तब तक वो स्वर्ग में इज़्ज़त पाता है। लोग उस्से बड़े पुण्य करने वाला मानते हैं।

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Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; correlatival adverb (यावत्) = 'as long as/so long as'

• asthīni: bones
• asthīni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)

• arddhacandram: half-moon (shape/mark)
• arddhacandram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arddha + candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः: 'half-moon'

• yasya: of whom/whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन)

• tiṣṭhanti: remain/stand
• tiṣṭhanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धाातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन)

• dehinaḥ: embodied beings
• dehinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; correlatival adverb (तावत्) = 'so long/that long'

• supuṇyakarttā: the doer of great merit
• supuṇyakarttā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + puṇya + kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: 'doer of good merit'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• svargaloke: in heaven-world
• svargaloke: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी) Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: 'world of heaven'

• mahīyate: is honored/glorified
• mahīyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mah (धाातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन); passive/intransitive sense 'is honored'

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Tīrtha-Māhātmya
• Funerary Customs
• Merit (Puṇya) Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It is evidence for beliefs linking funerary remains, sacred sites, and merit-duration—important for the study of pilgrimage and mortuary culture.

Which geographic location is identified?

Ardhacandra is identified as the relevant sacred locus; further geographic specification is not provided in this excerpt.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It underscores continuity of care and proper placement/handling of remains within culturally sanctioned frameworks.