Varaha Purana 154.11 — Adhyaya 154, Shloka 11

The Efficacy of Yamunā River Pilgrimage Sites

Merits of Mathurā-Region Tīrthas

Devanagari script

एतत्ते कथितं देवि आश्चर्यं यदभून्महत् ॥ त्यक्त्वा चात्मतनुं तीर्थे धारापतनसंज्ञके

Transliteration

etatte kathitaṃ devi āścaryaṃ yadabhūnmahat || tyaktvā cātmatanuṃ tīrthe dhārāpatana-saṃjñake

Translation

ഹേ ദേവീ, സംഭവിച്ച മഹത്തായ അത്ഭുതം ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞു—ധാരാപതന എന്ന തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ദേഹം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്…

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (contextually object of ‘कथितम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन रूप (to you/your); अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (dative sense)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (it has been told)

• देवि: O goddess / O lady
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अभूत्: was / happened
• अभूत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् लकार (Aorist/भूतकाल); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आश्चर्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• आत्म-तनुम्: one’s own body
• आत्म-तनुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः तनुः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग ‘तनु’; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• धारापतन-संज्ञके: in the (tīrtha) named Dhārāpatana
• धारापतन-संज्ञके: Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa (अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारापतन (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (धारापतन इति संज्ञा यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Rājā (King) / Narrative voice addressing the queen

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"Dhārāpatanaka tīrtha"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"meaning-making through sacred narrative","core_concept":"Āścarya (marvel) functions pedagogically—sacred geography is validated through narrated exempla.","practical_application":"Transmit and hear tīrtha-kathā as a form of ethical-spiritual education; let place-based stories guide conduct."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Geography","Ethics"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: śānta

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 154.9 (Dhārāpatanaka named); Varāha Purāṇa 154.13 (Yamuneśvara fruit statement)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king (or narrator) addresses the queen, summarizing the ‘great marvel’ connected to abandoning the body at Dhārāpatanaka.","item_prompts":["king speaking to queen","gesture of explanation (raised hand)","map-like cue or inscription of ‘Dhārāpatanaka’","background river/ghat indicating sacred topography"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: royal couple with expressive hand-gestures, stylized inscription panel for tīrtha-name, riverbank shrine behind.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-framed text-cartouche with tīrtha-name, richly dressed royals, temple iconography in background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: courtly narration with refined facial expressions, subtle landscape of ghat and shrine.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate palace balcony overlooking river-ghat, delicate storytelling posture, emphasis on ‘marvel’ through luminous sky."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"explanatory, wonder-tinged","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, didactic-narrative"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sacred Topography
• Textual Onomastics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It explicitly preserves the site-name (Dhārāpatana) and frames the episode as āścarya, a rhetorical marker often used to signal culturally memorable place-legends.

Which geographic location is identified?

Dhārāpatana-tīrtha (named sacred site). Modern identification remains uncertain without further cross-textual and regional evidence.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The narrative emphasizes reflective attention to consequential actions and the cultural valuation of place-based moral memory.