Varaha Purana 82.25: Adhyaya 82, Shloka 25

The Descent of the Rivers: The Sky-Gaṅgā and Her Fourfold Division

Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography (Comparative sanctity of rivers)

Devanagari script

एताश्च गङ्गासमाः कीर्तिताः ।

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 82.25

Transliteration

etāś ca gaṅgāsamāḥ kīrtitāḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

इन सब नदियों को गंगा जैसा ही बताया गया है।

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Word by Word

• एताः: these (rivers)
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• गङ्गासमाः: equal to the Ganges
• Type: Adjective
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (गङ्गायाः समाः = equal to the Gaṅgā)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Root: गङ्गा + सम (प्रातिपदिक)

• कीर्तिताः: (are) proclaimed/mentioned
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle, क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicative PPP: 'are proclaimed')
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Predication)
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• एताश्च = एताः + च (visarga before c becomes ś)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Tīrtha-ranking statement

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Value-theory of sacredness

Subjects

GeographyCultural HeritageEcology

Core idea

Sanctity is not monopolized; many waterways participate in the same purifying principle (tīrtha-tattva).

In practice

Honor local rivers as sacred; perform snāna/ācamana with faith and ethical conduct rather than mere prestige of place.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Praise
• Sacred Geography
• Hydrology in Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It shows a Purāṇic strategy of extending the prestige of a major river (Gaṅgā) to other named rivers, reflecting patterns of sanctity attribution in cultural geography.

Which geographic location is identified?

The Gaṅgā is referenced as a benchmark; the verse applies its status comparatively to the previously listed rivers.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it promotes respect for multiple water bodies, not only a single famed river—supporting a broad-based ethic of valuing and protecting rivers.