Varaha Purana 145.5: Adhyaya 145, Shloka 5

The Greatness of the Śālagrāma Sacred Region

Uttara Bhāga · Śālagrāma-kṣetra-māhātmya (Sacred Geography Narrative)

Devanagari script

ततो दृष्ट्वा महासालं परिश्रान्तो महामुनिः ॥ विश्रामं कुरुते तत्र द्रष्टुकामोऽथ मां मुनिः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 145.5

Transliteration

tato dṛṣṭvā mahā-sālaṃ pariśrānto mahā-muniḥ || viśrāmaṃ kurute tatra draṣṭu-kāmo 'tha māṃ muniḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം മഹാശാലവൃക്ഷത്തെ കണ്ടു ക്ഷീണിച്ച മഹാമുനി അവിടെ വിശ്രമിച്ചു; പിന്നീടു ആ മുനിക്ക് എന്നെ ദർശിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹം ഉണർന്നു।

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (ततः = from there/thereupon)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having seen’
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: dṛś (धातु)

• mahā-sālam: the great sāla tree
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine Accusative Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘mahān sālaḥ’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: mahā + sāla (प्रातिपदिक)

• pariśrāntaḥ: exhausted
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine Nominative Singular; agreeing with ‘mahā-muniḥ’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of mahā-muniḥ)
• Root: pariśrānta (प्रातिपदिक; from √śram)

• mahā-muniḥ: the great sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine Nominative Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘mahān muniḥ’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: mahā + muni (प्रातिपदिक)

• viśrāmam: rest
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine Accusative Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: viśrāma (प्रातिपदिक)

• kurute: does/takes (rest)
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person Singular, Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: kṛ (धातु)

• tatra: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of place (देशवाचक)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)

• draṣṭu-kāmaḥ: desiring to see
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine Nominative Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘draṣṭuṃ kāmaḥ’ (desirous to see)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of muniḥ)
• Root: draṣṭum (infinitive from √dṛś) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• mām: me
• Type: Noun
• Form: Pronoun, Accusative Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)

• muniḥ: the sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine Nominative Singular; apposition to ‘mahā-muniḥ’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• draṣṭu-kāmo ’tha → draṣṭu-kāmaḥ atha (visarga + a → ’)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasaSetting: Viśrāma-sthāna within a sacred grove

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Bhakti-oriented intentionality

Subjects

Pilgrimage ExperienceSacred EncounterNarrative ProgressionEmbodied Asceticism

Core idea

The turning point is not merely seeing the tree but the arising of desire to see the Lord (māṃ draṣṭu-kāmaḥ).

In practice

Convert encounters with sacred landscape into explicit intention (saṅkalpa) for darśana—prayer, remembrance, and focused seeking.

The Varaha avatara

Aspect

Dialogue

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sacred Geography
• Vaiṣṇava Mythic Frame

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic pattern: the sacred site becomes a threshold where disciplined practice culminates in a sought encounter (darśana) with the teacher-figure.

Which geographic location is identified?

The immediate locus is ‘there’ by the mahā-sāla within the Śālagrāma-kṣetra narrative setting.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It normalizes rest within ascetic discipline—care of the body as part of sustained practice—without diminishing the larger pursuit.