Varaha Purana 154.22: Adhyaya 154, Shloka 22

The Efficacy of Yamunā River Pilgrimage Sites

Merits of Mathurā-Region Tīrthas

Devanagari script

यस्तत्र कुरुते स्नानं त्रिरात्रोपोषितो नरः॥ स्नानमात्रेण मनुजो मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 154.22

Transliteration

yas tatra kurute snānaṃ trirātropoṣito naraḥ | snānamātreṇa manujo mucyate brahmahatyayā ||

Translation

അവിടെ മൂന്ന് രാത്രികൾ ഉപവസിച്ച് സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ, സ്നാനമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാപാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകുന്നു.

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Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of place

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• snānam: bath
• snānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• trirātra-upoṣitaḥ: having fasted for three nights
• trirātra-upoṣitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri-rātra (प्रातिपदिक) + upoṣita (कृदन्त, उपवस् धातोः क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Past participle (क्त), qualifying naraḥ

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• snāna-mātreṇa: by mere bathing
• snāna-mātreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• manujaḥ: a human
• manujaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Passive voice (कर्मणि प्रयोग), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahmahatyayā: from brahmin-slaying (sin)
• brahmahatyayā: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-hatyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects Purāṇic tīrtha-literature where ritual bathing (snāna) and fasting are framed as standardized expiatory practices (prāyaścitta) connected to specific pilgrimage landscapes.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse refers to a local tīrtha in the Mathurā-region context of Adhyāya 154; the precise site-name is supplied in adjacent verses rather than in this line.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It presents an ethics of purification: disciplined observance (fasting) combined with a culturally recognized rite (tīrtha-bathing) is described as a means to remove severe moral fault.