Varaha Purana 145.2: Adhyaya 145, Shloka 2

The Greatness of the Śālagrāma Sacred Region

Devanagari script

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ अथ दीर्घेण कालेन स ऋषिः संहितव्रतः ॥ तप्यमानो यथान्यायं पश्यन् वै सालमुत्तमम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 145.2

Transliteration

śrīvarāha uvāca || atha dīrgheṇa kālena sa ṛṣiḥ saṃhita-vrataḥ || tapyamāno yathā-nyāyaṃ paśyan vai sālam uttamam ||

Translation

ശ്രീവരാഹൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ദീർഘകാലത്തിനു ശേഷം ആ ഋഷി, വ്രതനിഷ്ഠനായി, യഥാവിധി തപസ്സിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കെ, നിശ്ചയമായും ഒരു ഉത്തമ ശാലവൃക്ഷത്തെ ദർശിച്ചു।

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Word by Word

• śrīvarāhaḥ: Śrī Varāha
• śrīvarāhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘śrīmān varāhaḥ’

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person Singular, Parasmaipada

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb/particle (अनन्तरार्थक)

• dīrgheṇa: by/after a long
• dīrgheṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular; used adjectivally with ‘kālena’

• kālena: time
• kālena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental Singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine Nominative Singular

• ṛṣiḥ: sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• saṃhita-vrataḥ: of disciplined vow
• saṃhita-vrataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of ṛṣiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃhita + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘saṃhitaṃ vrataṃ yasya’ (one whose vow is well-observed/regulated)

• tapyamānaḥ: performing austerities
• tapyamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: Present passive participle (वर्तमानकृदन्त/शानच् in कर्मणि), Masculine Nominative Singular; ‘being heated/doing austerity’

• yathā-nyāyam: according to proper rule
• yathā-nyāyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + nyāya (अव्यय + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially; accusative form functioning as avyaya: ‘according to rule’

• paśyan: seeing
• paśyan: Karta (कर्ता; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine Nominative Singular; agreeing with ‘ṛṣiḥ’

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निश्चयार्थक/खलु)

• sālam: a sāla tree
• sālam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular

• uttamam: excellent/supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of sālam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine Accusative Singular; agreeing with ‘sālam’

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sacred Geography
• Environmental Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It uses a familiar Purāṇic narrative device: a disciplined ascetic’s experience in a sacred region becomes the basis for describing the site’s cultural and spiritual prestige.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse situates the event within the Śālagrāma-kṣetra narrative context; no specific sub-location is named here beyond the presence of a notable śāla tree.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The emphasis is on disciplined practice—properly conducted austerity and vow-observance—as a model of self-regulation.