Varaha Purana 99.21: Adhyaya 99, Shloka 21

The Greatness and Rite of the Sesame-Cow (Tiladhenu) Gift

Devanagari script

लक्षणैर्विविधैर्भूमिं लक्षयित्वा विधानतः ॥ षोडशारं लिखेच्चक्रं सर्वतोभद्रमेव च ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 99.21

Transliteration

lakṣaṇair vividhair bhūmiṁ lakṣayitvā vidhānataḥ || ṣoḍaśāraṁ likhec cakraṁ sarvatobhadram eva ca ||

Translation

ज़मीन को सही तरह मार्क करो। उसके ऊपर चक्र बनाओ, सोलह स्पोक्स वाला। एक और डिज़ाइन भी बनाओ जो शुभ माना जाता है।

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Word by Word

• lakṣaṇaiḥ: with marks/signs
• lakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• vividhaiḥ: various
• vividhaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying lakṣaṇaiḥ

• bhūmim: the ground
• bhūmim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• lakṣayitvā: having marked
• lakṣayitvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lakṣ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √lakṣ (लक्ष्) ‘to mark/indicate’; ‘having marked’

• vidhānataḥ: according to rule/procedure
• vidhānataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (तसिल्-अव्ययीभावार्थ), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी) Singular (एकवचन) in adverbial sense

• ṣoḍaśāram: sixteen-spoked
• ṣoḍaśāram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣoḍaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + āra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu (द्विगु) compound ‘having sixteen spokes’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying cakram

• likhet: should draw
• likhet: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: likh (धातु)
• Form: √likh (लिख्) ‘to draw/write’; Optative/vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• cakram: a wheel/diagram
• cakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvatobhadram: the ‘sarvatobhadra’ (auspicious-on-all-sides diagram)
• sarvatobhadram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvatas (अव्यय) + bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) compound used as a technical noun ‘sarvatobhadra’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya-dyotaka (समुच्चयद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

Speaker

Varāha (default per dialogue framework)

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Ritual Studies
• Iconography
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves technical ritual vocabulary for diagrammatic practice (cakra, sarvatobhadra), valuable for reconstructing historical maṇḍala traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

None; the verse describes ritual space-making rather than a named place.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It encourages procedural care and adherence to prescribed methods (vidhānataḥ) in constructing ritual space.