Varaha Purana 161.9: Adhyaya 161, Shloka 9

The Efficacy of the Sacred Forests: The Merit of Pilgrimage to Mathurā’s Twelve Groves

Devanagari script

लोहर्गलवनं नाम नवमं पातकापहम् ॥ वनं बिल्ववनं नाम दशमं देवपूजितम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 161.9

Transliteration

lohargalavanaṃ nāma navamaṃ pātakāpaham || vanaṃ bilvavanaṃ nāma daśamaṃ devapūjitam ||

Translation

ഒൻപതാമത് ‘ലോഹർഗലവനം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അത് പാതകഹരമാണ്. പത്താമത് ‘ബിൽവവനം’; അത് ദേവപൂജയിൽ പൂജിക്കപ്പെടുന്നതാണ്.

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Word by Word

• lohargalavanam: the Lohargala forest
• lohargalavanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lohargala (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोहर्गलस्य वनम्)

• nāma: named/called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशार्थक (indeclinable used for naming: ‘called’)

• navamam: ninth
• navamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• pātakāpaham: sin-destroying
• pātakāpaham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (कृदन्त; √hā धातु, अप + क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पातकं अपहन्ति इति)

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• bilvavanam: the Bilva forest
• bilvavanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिल्वस्य वनम्)

• nāma: named/called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशार्थक (‘called’)

• daśamam: tenth
• daśamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• devapūjitam: worshipped by the gods
• devapūjitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjita (कृदन्त; √pūj धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (देवैः पूजितम्)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Pilgrimage Culture
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It links named forest-sites with moral language (pātakāpaha), illustrating how landscapes were encoded as ethical resources.

Which geographic location is identified?

Lohargalavana and Bilvavana, forest toponyms within the Mathurā/Braj pilgrimage geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse associates engagement with certain places to moral purification, encouraging culturally regulated conduct within heritage zones.