Varaha Purana 79.16: Adhyaya 79, Shloka 16

Description of the Inner Basins (Droṇīs): Śrīsaras, Śrīvana, Bilva Forest, and Tāla Grove

Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography and Descriptive Topography (Māhātmya-style narration)

Devanagari script

द्विबाहुपरिणाहैस्तैस्त्रिहस्तायामविस्तृतैः । मनःशिलाचूर्णनिभैः पाण्डुकेसरशालिभिः ॥ ७९.१६ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 79.16

Transliteration

dvibāhu-pariṇāhais tais tri-hastāyāma-vistṛtaiḥ | manaḥśilā-cūrṇa-nibhaiḥ pāṇḍu-kesara-śālibhiḥ || 79.16 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

उनका मोटापन दो बाहुत के बराबर था। वो तीनहाथ लंबी थी। रंग से वो सफेद-पीला था, जैसे कोई पिसा हुआ पत्थर हो।

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Word by Word

• dvi-bāhu-pariṇāhaiḥ: with a two-arm span in girth
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsaka (agreeing with implied plural nouns), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; ‘with girths of two arms’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + pariṇāha (प्रातिपदिक)

• taiḥ: with those
• Type: Noun
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; anaphoric ‘by/with those’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• tri-hasta-āyāma-vistṛtaiḥ: extended to three cubits in length
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Bhūta-kṛdanta (past participle) used adjectivally; Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; ‘extended in length to three hastas’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + āyāma (प्रातिपदिक) + √stṛ (धातु) → vistṛta (कृदन्त)

• manaḥ-śilā-cūrṇa-nibhaiḥ: resembling powdered realgar
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; nibha = ‘resembling’; ‘like the powder of realgar (manaḥśilā)’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: manaḥśilā (प्रातिपदिक) + cūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nibha (प्रातिपदिक)

• pāṇḍu-kesara-śālibhiḥ: having pale stamens
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; śālin = ‘possessing’; ‘possessing pale stamens’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: pāṇḍu (प्रातिपदिक) + kesara (प्रातिपदिक) + śālin (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• dvibāhu-pariṇāhais = dvi-bāhu-pariṇāhaiḥ
• trihastāyāmavistṛtaiḥ = tri-hasta-āyāma-vistṛtaiḥ
• manaḥśilācūrṇanibhaiḥ = manaḥ-śilā-cūrṇa-nibhaiḥ
• pāṇḍukesaraśālibhiḥ = pāṇḍu-kesara-śālibhiḥ

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious; attentive to fine detail

What she asks

What are the specific dimensions and appearance of these flowers/plant-features?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Contemplative observation

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesMaterial Culture

Core idea

Sacred attention: precision in seeing reveals depth in the seen

In practice

Practice mindful perception (smṛti) by noticing measure, color, and texture without distraction—turning observation into meditation.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Descriptive Poetics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The verse illustrates Purāṇic descriptive technique: using standardized body-based measures (arm-span, cubit) and mineral similes (manaḥśilā/realgar) to convey the scale and appearance of features described in sacred-geographic narration.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit place-name appears in this single pāda-pair; the verse functions as a descriptive unit within Adhyāya 79. Identification requires adjacent verses that name the site or object being described.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

This verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive; its philosophical value lies in documenting how the text encodes environmental and cultural features through careful measurement and material comparison.