Varaha Purana 179.21: Adhyaya 179, Shloka 21

Enumeration of Ritual Offenses and Their Expiations; The Sacred Merit of Saukara and Mathurā Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ संवत्सरस्य मध्ये तु तीर्थे सौकरवे मम ॥ कृतोपवासः स्नानेन गङ्गायां शुद्धिमाप्नुयात् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 179.21

Transliteration

śrīvarāha uvāca || saṃvatsarasya madhye tu tīrthe saukarave mama || kṛtopavāsaḥ snānena gaṅgāyāṃ śuddhim āpnuyāt

Translation

वराह भगवान बोले। साल में एक बार मेरे सौकर तीर्थ पर व्रत रख के गंगा में नहा लो। यह तुम्हे साफ़ कर देगा।

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Word by Word

• श्रीवराहः: Lord Varaha
• श्रीवराहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् वराहः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• संवत्सरस्य: of a year
• संवत्सरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location—within)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सौकरवे: Saukārava (connected with the boar/Varaha)
• सौकरवे: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौकरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थे)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृतोपवासः: having observed a fast
• कृतोपवासः: Karta (कर्ता/Agent—doer of āpnuyāt)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त/क्त of √कृ) + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृतः उपवासः यस्य/कृत-उपवासः = ‘having performed a fast’)

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Ganga
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शुद्धिम्: purity, purification
• शुद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: may attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography
• Pilgrimage Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies how Purāṇic literature integrates ritual disciplines (fasting, bathing) with named tīrthas, contributing to the cultural mapping of North Indian sacred landscapes.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse names Saukara-tīrtha and the river Gaṅgā (Ganges), a major pan-Indic sacred river with extensive historical attestation.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Purification is framed as achievable through disciplined practice (upavāsa) combined with ceremonial bathing at a designated sacred site.