Varaha Purana 77.8: Adhyaya 77, Shloka 8

Measurements of Mount Meru, the Boundary Mountains, and the Four Directional Great Trees

Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography and Descriptions of Splendid Abodes

Devanagari script

मनःशिलादरीभिश्च सुवर्णमणिचित्रिताः । अनेकसिद्धभवनैः क्रीडास्थानैश्च सुप्रभाः ॥ ७७.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 77.8

Transliteration

manaḥśilādarībhiś ca suvarṇamaṇicitritāḥ | anekasiddhabhavanaiḥ krīḍāsthānaiś ca suprabhāḥ || 77.8 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

मनःशिला की चट्टानें हैं, सोने और मोती से सजाये हैं। सिद्धों के घर हैं, खेलने की जगह भी। सब चमक रहे हैं।

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Word by Word

• manaḥśilā: realgar (manaḥśilā)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), stem as compound member
• Role: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Root: manaḥśilā (प्रातिपदिक)

• darībhiḥ: by/with ravines/caves
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: manaḥśilā-darī = 'realgar-caves/ravines'
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: darī (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• suvarṇa: gold
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), stem as compound member
• Role: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)

• maṇi: gem
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), stem as compound member
• Role: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Root: maṇi (प्रातिपदिक)

• citritāḥ: decorated/variegated
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: suvarṇa-maṇi-citrita = 'adorned with gold and gems'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: citrita (कृदन्त; √citr चित्र्)

• aneka: many
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Adjective (विशेषण), stem as compound member
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)

• siddha: siddha (perfected being)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), stem as compound member
• Role: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक)

• bhavanaiḥ: by/with mansions/dwellings
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: aneka-siddha-bhavana = 'dwellings of many siddhas'
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)

• krīḍā: play/sport
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), stem as compound member
• Role: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Root: krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)

• sthānaiḥ: by/with places
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: krīḍā-sthāna = 'playgrounds/sporting places'
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• suprabhāḥ: very radiant/beautifully shining
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) / Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Root: suprabhā (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• मनःशिलादरीभिश्च = मनःशिला-दरीभिः + च
• सुवर्णमणिचित्रिताः = सुवर्ण + मणि + चित्रिताः
• अनेकसिद्धभवनैः = अनेक + सिद्ध + भवनैः
• क्रीडास्थानैश्च = क्रीडा-स्थानैः + च

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Cosmological contemplation

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesCosmology

Core idea

The cosmos is portrayed as intrinsically sacral—nature, minerals, and beings form a single luminous order.

In practice

Cultivate reverence for tīrthas/holy landscapes and practice mindful ‘darśana’ of nature as sacred rather than merely utilitarian.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sacred Geography
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The verse exemplifies a common Purāṇic literary mode: cataloguing luminous landscapes and extraordinary habitations to frame sacred geography and cosmological space in aesthetically vivid terms.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym is supplied in this fragment; it appears to be part of a broader descriptive passage. A firm modern identification is not possible without adjacent verses naming the site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive; its philosophical emphasis lies in portraying a harmonized, richly adorned environment associated with accomplished beings, reinforcing cultural valuation of landscape as a heritage setting.