Varaha Purana 149.97: Adhyaya 149, Shloka 97

The Sacred Geography and Merit of Dvārakā

Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Sacred Geography and Natural Markers)

Devanagari script

तस्य पश्चिमपार्श्वे तु बिल्वश्चैव महाद्रुमः ॥ चतुर्विंशतिद्वादश्यां स पुष्यति च निष्कलम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 149.97

Transliteration

tasya paścimapārśve tu bilvaś caiva mahādrumaḥ || caturviṃśatidvādaśyāṃ sa puṣyati ca niṣkalam

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

അതിന്റെ പടിഞ്ഞാറ് വശത്ത് ഒരു മഹാബില്വവൃക്ഷം നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. ഇരുപത്തിനാലാം ദ്വാദശിയിൽ അത് നിർദോഷമായി പൂർണ്ണമായി പുഷ്പിക്കുന്നു.

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Word by Word

• तस्य: of that/of it
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘of it/of him’
• Role: सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्धः)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पश्चिम-पार्श्वे: on the western side
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘पश्चिमं पार्श्वम्’ (western side)
• Role: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Root: पश्चिम-पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निपात
• Role: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• बिल्वः: bilva tree
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (कर्ता)
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• महाद्रुमः: a great tree
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महान् द्रुमः’ (great tree)
• Role: कर्ता (कर्ता)
• Root: महाद्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)

• चतुर्विंशति-द्वादश्याम्: on the twenty-fourth Dvādaśī (lunar day)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—‘चतुर्विंशतिः द्वादशी’ (the 24th Dvādaśī)
• Role: अधिकरण (काल-अधिकरणम्)
• Root: चतुर्विंशति-द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)

• सः: it/he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (कर्ता)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पुष्यति: blooms
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; अर्थे—‘blooms/thrives’
• Role: क्रिया (क्रिया)
• Root: पुष् (धातु)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात
• Role: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• निष्कलम्: spotlessly/fully
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (क्रियाविशेषणवत्), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘without blemish/entirely’ (पुष्यति इति क्रियाविशेषणवत्)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Root: निष्कल (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• बिल्वश्चैव = बिल्वः + च + एव
• पश्चिमपार्श्वे = पश्चिम-पार्श्वे
• चतुर्विंशतिद्वादश्यां = चतुर्विंशति-द्वादश्याम्

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Sacred tree landmark (mahādruma)

Speaker

Varāha (Viṣṇu)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Attentive, mapping the site

What she asks

What identifying signs and sacred timings mark this tīrtha so pilgrims can recognize and benefit from it?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Time (kāla) as sacred structure

Subjects

GeographyEcologyHeritage SitesCalendrics

Core idea

Kāla is not merely measurement but a carrier of sanctity; dharmic life notices and honors auspicious rhythms in place and nature.

In practice

Plan pilgrimage/worship to coincide with auspicious tithis; use natural signs as reminders for disciplined observance.

The Varaha avatara

Aspect

Dialogue

With the Earth

Varāha points out a concrete landmark (bilva tree) and its calendric miracle, guiding Bhū-devī’s mental map of the tīrtha.

Symbolism of the boar

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Sacred Botany
• Ancient Calendrical Practice
• Pilgrimage Landscape

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a botanical landmark tied to calendrical observance, indicating how sacred landscapes were remembered through trees and recurring lunar dates.

Which geographic location is identified?

A western-side landmark is described relative to the tīrtha context; the verse itself does not provide a modern-identifiable coordinate beyond the relational description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The passage implicitly encourages attentive stewardship and recognition of natural features (trees, seasonal blooming) as part of cultural heritage landscapes.