Varaha Purana 216.21: Adhyaya 216, Shloka 21

The Sacred Account of Gokarṇa, Śṛṅgeśvara, and Related Tīrthas

Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya and Sacred Geography (Gokarṇa and associated sites)

Devanagari script

एतत्ते कथितं सर्वं मया विस्तरतो मुने ॥ यथावदुत्तरस्तस्य गोकर्णस्य महात्मनः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 216.21

Transliteration

etatte kathitaṁ sarvaṁ mayā vistarato mune || yathāvad uttaras tasya gokarṇasya mahātmanaḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

मुनि, मैंने तुम्हे पूरा बताया है। गोकर्ण की कहानी भी डिटेल में सुना दी। जो कुछ भी होना था, वो सब कहा।

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Word by Word

• etat: this (matter)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) / Vishaya (विषय)
• Root: etat (प्रातिपदिक)

• te: to you
• Type: Noun
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Dative (चतुर्थी) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)

• kathitam: told / narrated
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्—क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); agrees with etat/sarvam
• Role: Karma (कर्म) (as predicative: 'has been told')
• Root: √kath (कथ् धातु) + kta (क्त)

• sarvam: all
• Type: Noun
• Form: Pronoun/adjective (सर्वनाम/विशेषण), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); apposition to etat
• Role: Karma (कर्म) / Vishaya (विषय)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)

• mayā: by me
• Type: Noun
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)

• vistarataḥ: in detail
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) formed with -tas (तस्)
• Role: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)

• mune: O sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)

• yathāvat: properly / as it should be
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)

• uttaraḥ: the later account / answer / description
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (as topic: 'the account/answer')
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)

• tasya: of that / of him
• Type: Noun
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)

• gokarṇasya: of Gokarṇa
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन); compound: go (गो) + karṇa (कर्ण)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: gokarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying gokarṇasya
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• etatte = etat + te
• yathāvaduttaraḥ = yathāvat + uttaraḥ

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasaSetting: Tīrtha-region (referential)

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Attentive/curious

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Śruti-smṛti pedagogy within Purāṇas

Subjects

Heritage SitesSacred GeographyTextual Transmission

Core idea

Dharma and tīrtha-knowledge are transmitted through disciplined, sequential narration (yathāvat), not as random lore.

In practice

Study sacred texts with attention to context and sequence; treat tīrtha-māhātmya as a structured teaching meant to shape conduct.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Instructional address within the Varāha-dialogue frame (teacherly narration to the listener-sage)

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It functions as a colophon-like transition, indicating that a detailed account of Gokarṇa and its subsequent narrative has been systematically presented—typical of Purāṇic compilation and recitation style.

Which geographic location is identified?

Gokarṇa is named; in scholarship it is commonly associated with Gokarna on India’s western coast (present-day Karnataka), known in Purāṇic literature as a tīrtha region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes disciplined narration (yathāvat) and faithful transmission of knowledge—an epistemic ethic within the Purāṇic discourse.