Varaha Purana 171.1: Adhyaya 171, Shloka 1

Śuka’s Ocean Voyage: Adverse Winds, Arrival at a Viṣṇu Shrine, and Aid from the Jaṭāyu Birds

Uttara Bhāga · Narrative Cycle: Varāha’s Narration—Śuka’s Journey to Mathurā

Devanagari script

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ शुकं गृह्य ततः स्थानात्प्रस्थितो मथुरां पुरीम् ॥ प्रविश्य गृह्य तत्पुण्यं मातापित्रोस्तदर्पितम्

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 171.1

Transliteration

śrīvarāha uvāca || śukaṃ gṛhya tataḥ sthānātprasthito mathurāṃ purīm || praviśya gṛhya tatpuṇyaṃ mātāpitrostadarpitam

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

श्री वराह ने कहा, उसने तोता पकड़ा और वहाँ से निकल गया। मथुरा की तरफ चला गया। मथुरा में जाके उसने वो प्रसाद लिया जो उसके माँ बाप ने दिया था।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• śrī-varāhaḥ: Śrī Varāha
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; karmadhāraya/title: 'glorious Varāha'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)

• uvāca: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Eka-vacana, Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: √vac (वच्)

• śukam: the parrot
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक)

• gṛhya: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा; -ya form), avyaya-kṛdanta
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Root: √grah (ग्रह्)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (thereupon/from there)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)

• sthānāt: from the place
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th), Singular
• Role: Apadana (अपादान)
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)

• prasthitaḥ: set out/departed
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicative (he set out)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: √sthā (स्था) + pra- (उपसर्ग), kta (क्त)

• mathurām: to Mathurā
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म/गत्यर्थक-गन्तव्य)
• Root: mathurā (प्रातिपदिक)

• purīm: the city
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; in apposition to mathurām
• Role: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)

• praviśya: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा; -ya form), avyaya-kṛdanta
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Root: √viś (विश्) + pra- (उपसर्ग)

• gṛhya: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा; -ya form), avyaya-kṛdanta
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Root: √grah (ग्रह्)

• tat-puṇyam: that sacred merit/holy offering
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'that merit/holy (thing)'
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)

• mātā-pitroḥ: of (his) mother and father
• Type: Noun
• Form: Dual compound (द्वन्द्व), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); 'of mother and father'
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)

• tat-arpitam: offered (to them)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'offered to them/that' qualifying tat-puṇyam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + arpita (कृदन्त, √arp/अर्प्, क्त)

Sandhi Notes

• sthānātprasthito = sthānāt + prasthitaḥ
• śrīvarāha = śrī-varāhaḥ (title)
• tatpuṇyaṃ = tat + puṇyam
• mātāpitroḥ = mātā + pitroḥ (dvandva)
• tadarpitam = tat + arpitam

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Vatsalya rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Subjects

Sacred GeographyPilgrimage/TravelFamily and Merit (puṇya)

Cross references

Tags

• Mathurā
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇava Sacred Geography
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It situates the narrative within Mathurā, a major cultural-geographic node in Sanskrit literature, and connects travel with merit-making and familial offerings.

Which geographic location is identified?

Mathurā is explicitly named, commonly identified with modern Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, a long-attested heritage city in North Indian history.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse underscores respect for parental acts and the idea that gifts and offerings can be framed as ethically meritorious (puṇya) within the narrative world.