Varaha Purana 164.39: Adhyaya 164, Shloka 39

The Efficacy of Circumambulating Annakūṭa

Govardhana

Devanagari script

य एतच्छृणुयाद्भक्त्या तीर्थानुक्रमणं हरेः ॥ गोवर्धनस्य माहात्म्यं गङ्गास्नानफलं भवेत् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 164.39

Transliteration

ya etac chṛṇuyād bhaktyā tīrthānukramaṇaṃ hareḥ || govardhanasya māhātmyaṃ gaṅgāsnānaphalaṃ bhavet ||

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ ഹരിയുടെ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളുടെ ക്രമാനുസൃത വിവരണം—ഗോവർധനത്തിന്റെ ഈ മഹാത്മ്യം—ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവന് ഗംഗാസ്നാനഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

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Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (एतद्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• śṛṇuyāt: should hear/listen
• śṛṇuyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• tīrtha-anukramaṇam: the enumeration of sacred places
• tīrtha-anukramaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + anukramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः ‘the sequential listing/recital of tīrthas’

• hareḥ: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन)

• govardhanasya: of Govardhana
• govardhanasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govardhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन)

• māhātmyam: the greatness (glory)
• māhātmyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• gaṅgā-snāna-phalam: the merit of bathing in the Ganges
• gaṅgā-snāna-phalam: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः ‘the fruit of bathing in the Gaṅgā’ (predicate nominative)

• bhavet: would be/becomes
• bhavet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue-frame attribution)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Sacred Geography
• Textual Transmission

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It highlights oral/aural transmission (hearing) as a valued mode of religious-literary engagement, and shows how texts functioned as portable pilgrimage substitutes.

Which geographic location is identified?

Govardhana and the Gaṅgā; the verse connects a regional pilgrimage landscape with the pan-Indic sacred river tradition.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Cultivate attentive listening and devotion as disciplined practices that complement physical pilgrimage.