Varaha Purana 145.47: Adhyaya 145, Shloka 47

The Greatness of the Śālagrāma Sacred Region

Devanagari script

तत्र शङ्खप्रभं नाम गुह्यं क्षेत्रं परं मम॥ श्रूयते शङ्खशब्दश्च द्वादश्यामर्द्धरात्रके॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 145.47

Transliteration

tatra śaṅkhaprabhaṃ nāma guhyaṃ kṣetraṃ paraṃ mama || śrūyate śaṅkhaśabdaś ca dvādaśyām arddharātrake

Translation

അവിടെ ‘ശങ്കപ്രഭ’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള എന്റെ പരമവും ഗുഹ്യവും ആയ ക്ഷേത്രം ഉണ്ട്; ദ്വാദശിയുടെ അർദ്ധരാത്രിയിൽ ശംഖധ്വനിയും കേൾക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• शङ्खप्रभम्: conch-bright / conch-lustrous
• शङ्खप्रभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शङ्खस्य प्रभा यस्य/शङ्खवत् प्रभा) — नामविशेषणम्

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Nirdharana/Name-marker (नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘by name’)

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कषेत्रस्य)

• क्षेत्रम्: a sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रस्य)

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रूयते: is heard
• श्रूयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: ‘is heard’)

• शङ्खशब्दः: the sound of a conch
• शङ्खशब्दः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शङ्खस्य शब्दः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्वादश्याम्: on the twelfth lunar day (Dvādaśī)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तिथिवाचक)

• अर्द्धरात्रके: at midnight
• अर्द्धरात्रके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्धरात्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे भेदः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a site characterized not only by geography but by an auditory sign and calendrical timing, typical of Purāṇic techniques for sacralizing place through recurring phenomena.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse names “Śaṅkhaprabha” as a kṣetra. The excerpt does not supply further coordinates, so the identification remains textual rather than cartographic.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It implies attentiveness to time (tithi and midnight) and observance patterns associated with a heritage site, emphasizing disciplined participation.