Varaha Purana 91.36: Adhyaya 91, Shloka 36

The Vaiṣṇavī Goddess on Mount Mandara: Emergence of the Maidens, Construction of the Goddess-City, and Nārada’s Visit

Pūrva Bhāga · Catalogue of maidens (continuation; includes apsaras names)

Devanagari script

घृताची चोर्वशी चान्या शशिनी शीलमण्डिता । चारुकन्या विशालाक्षी धन्या पीनपयोधरा ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 91.36

Transliteration

ghṛtācī corvaśī cānyā śaśinī śīlamaṇḍitā | cārukanyā viśālākṣī dhanyā pīnapayodharā ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

फिर घृताची और उर्वशी थीं। एक और थी शशिनी, जिसका करेक्टर अच्छा था। चारुकन्या, विशालाक्षी, धन्या और पीनपयोधरा भी थीं।

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Word by Word

• ghṛtācī: Ghṛtācī (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); नाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: ghṛtācī (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• urvaśī: Urvaśī (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); नाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: urvaśī (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• anyā: another (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषणरूपेण (अपराः इत्यर्थे)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)

• śaśinī: Śaśinī (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); नाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: śaśinī (प्रातिपदिक)

• śīla-maṇḍitā: adorned with good conduct (name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः (शीलैः मण्डिता)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: śīla (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)

• cāru-kanyā: Lovely maiden (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (चारु कन्या)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: cāru (प्रातिपदिक) + kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)

• viśāla-akṣī: wide-eyed (name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (विशाले अक्षिणी यस्याः सा)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi/akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)

• dhanyā: fortunate/blessed (name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)

• pīna-payodharā: full-breasted (name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (पीनाः पयोधराः यस्याः सा)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: pīna (प्रातिपदिक) + payodhara (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• चोर्वशी = च + उर्वशी
• चान्या = च + अन्या
• विशालाक्षी = विशाल + अक्षी

Speaker and setting

Shringara and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Mountain/assembly

Speaker

Narrator

The teaching

Path

Ethics Through Aesthetics

Subjects

OnomasticsApsaras referencesAesthetic description

Core idea

Beauty is paired with dharma: ‘Śaśinī śīlamaṇḍitā’ signals that ornamentation by conduct surpasses mere physical charm.

In practice

Read descriptive epithets as value-signals: cultivate śīla as the ‘ornament’ (ābharaṇa) that stabilizes prosperity and attractiveness.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Mythology
• Sanskrit Names

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The inclusion of well-known apsaras names (Ghṛtācī, Urvaśī) indicates intertextual continuity across Sanskrit narrative traditions, while the epithets illustrate ideals of beauty and conduct as literary descriptors.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is specified in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The phrase śīlamaṇḍitā highlights an evaluative ideal—good conduct as an adornment—though the verse overall remains descriptive rather than prescriptive.