Varaha Purana 151.3: Adhyaya 151, Shloka 3

The Sacred Greatness of Lohārgala

The ‘Iron-Bolt’ Tīrtha

Devanagari script

अपरं वा॒स्ति चेत्किञ्चिद्गुह्यं क्षेत्रं शुभावहम् ॥ सानन्दूरात्परं गुह्यं क्षेत्रमस्ति न वा परम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 151.3

Transliteration

aparaṁ vā'sti cet kiñcid guhyam kṣetraṁ śubhāvaham || sānandūrāt paraṁ guhyaṁ kṣetram asti na vā param ||

Translation

もしさらに、吉祥をもたらす秘められた聖域があるのなら—サーナンドゥーラよりもなお秘奥なるクシェートラは存在するのですか、それともこれを超えるものは無いのですか。

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Word by Word

• aparam: something else
• aparam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (context: ‘anything else’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-nipāta (विकल्प-निपात) ‘or’

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: Śarthe avyaya (शर्ते अव्यय) conditional particle

• kiñcit: anything
• kiñcit: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indefinite pronoun, Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• guhyam: secret
• guhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies kṣetram

• kṣetram: holy place/field
• kṣetram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• śubha-āvaham: bringing auspiciousness
• śubha-āvaham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Upapada-tatpuruṣa: ‘śubham āvahati iti’; Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies kṣetram

• sānandūrāt: than/from Sānandūra
• sānandūrāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sānandūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Pañcamī (5/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; ablative of comparison/source

• param: greater/other
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; comparative ‘higher/other’

• guhyam: secret
• guhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies kṣetram

• kṣetram: a holy place
• kṣetram: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana (subject of asti)

• asti: exists
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-nipāta (निषेध-निपात) negation

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-nipāta (विकल्प-निपात)

• param: anything else/superior
• param: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; ‘anything higher/other’

Speaker

Pṛthivī (Dharā/Vasundharā)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Sacred Geography
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sanskrit Semantics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It shows the Purāṇic technique of chaining māhātmyas through comparative questions, expanding a catalog of sites via dialogic prompts.

Which geographic location is identified?

Sānandūra is explicitly named as a reference point; the anticipated next location (contextually Lohārgala) is implied by the chapter heading.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse promotes discernment and inquiry about cultural-heritage places rather than unreflective acceptance.