Varaha Purana 169.8: Adhyaya 169, Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

तयोर्मध्ये स्थितो देव आकारात्सोमचक्रता ॥ तौ देवौ क्षेत्रफलदौ स्नानदानादिकर्मणि ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 169.8

Transliteration

tayor madhye sthito deva ākārāt somacakratā || tau devau kṣetraphaladau snānadānādikarmaṇi ||

Translation

दोनों के बीच में देवता खड़ा है, सोम चक्र के रूप में। यह दोनों देवता स्नान और दान जैसे काम में अच्छा फल देते हैं।

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Word by Word

• tayoḥ: of those two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन) सर्वनाम

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन) (adverbial use: ‘in the middle’)

• sthitaḥ: standing/placed
• sthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with devaḥ (understood)

• devaḥ: a god / the deity
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ākārāt: from (its) form / in shape
• ākārāt: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘from/according to form’

• soma-cakratā: the state of being a Soma-disc (moon-like wheel)
• soma-cakratā: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma-cakratā (प्रातिपदिक); soma (सोम) + cakratā (चक्रता)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); abstract noun ‘-tā’

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन) सर्वनाम

• devau: two gods
• devau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• kṣetra-phala-dau: granting the fruit of the field
• kṣetra-phala-dau: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣetra-phala-da (प्रातिपदिक); kṣetra (क्षेत्र) + phala (फल) + da (द)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); adjective qualifying devau; ‘givers of the fruit of the field’

• snāna-dāna-ādi-karmaṇi: in rites like bathing, giving, etc.
• snāna-dāna-ādi-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna-dāna-ādi-karman (प्रातिपदिक); snāna (स्नान) + dāna (दान) + ādi (आदि) + karman (कर्मन्)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘in acts such as bathing and giving’

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ritual Topography
• Ancient Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It records a localized sacred-cartography idea where deities and symbolic forms (cakra) structure ritual efficacy, useful for studies of pilgrimage iconography and spatial theology.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse implies an internal axis ‘between two points’ within Mathurā-kṣetra; it does not name the points but treats them as recognized landmarks in the chapter’s geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Ritual acts (bathing, gifting) are framed as culturally valuable when performed with awareness of place and prescribed structure.