Varaha Purana 159.2: Adhyaya 159, Shloka 2

The Procedure and Merit of Circumambulating Mathurā

Devanagari script

न दानैर्न तपोभिश्च न यज्ञैस्तादृशं फलम् ॥ भूमेः प्रदक्षिणायाश्च यादृशं तीर्थसेवया ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 159.2

Transliteration

na dānair na tapobhiś ca na yajñais tādṛśaṃ phalam || bhūmeḥ pradakṣiṇāyāś ca yādṛśaṃ tīrtha-sevayā ||

Translation

ບໍ່ແມ່ນດ້ວຍທານ ບໍ່ແມ່ນດ້ວຍຕະປະ ແລະບໍ່ແມ່ນດ້ວຍຍັດຍະ ຈຶ່ງຈະໄດ້ຜົນເທົ່າກັນກັບຜົນຈາກການປະທັກສິນາພຣະທຣະນີ ແລະການຮັບໃຊ້ທີຣຖະດ້ວຍຄວາມເຊື່ອມັ້ນ

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Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• dānaiḥ: by gifts/charity
• dānaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle

• tapobhiḥ: by austerities
• tapobhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Instrumental Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle

• yajñaiḥ: by sacrifices
• yajñaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Instrumental Plural

• tādṛśam: such
• tādṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Nominative/Accusative Singular; demonstrative adjective ‘such’

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (कर्म/thing obtained)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Nominative/Accusative Singular

• bhūmeḥ: of the earth
• bhūmeḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular

• pradakṣiṇāyāḥ: of circumambulation
• pradakṣiṇāyāḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Genitive Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• yādṛśam: as great as/like which
• yādṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Nominative/Accusative Singular; relative adjective ‘as/what kind of’

• tīrtha-sevayā: by service/visiting of sacred places
• tīrtha-sevayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘tīrthasya sevā’

Speaker

Dharaṇī (contextual continuation of inquiry/praise) / Narrative voice

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Ancient Geography
• Pilgrimage Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a Purāṇic hierarchy of practices, highlighting pilgrimage and sacred geography as socially recognizable modes of religious culture and mobility.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single site is named here; the verse generalizes to “the Earth” (bhūmi) and tīrthas as a network of heritage locations.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It elevates disciplined engagement with places of cultural memory (tīrthas) and embodied practices (circumambulation) as meaningful forms of conduct.