Varaha Purana 170.83: Adhyaya 170, Shloka 83

The Birth of Gokarṇa and the Fruits of Śiva Worship

including the Śukodara Parrot Episode and Hospitality Ethics

Devanagari script

सरस्वत्याः सङ्गमे च यत्फलं लभते नरः॥ स्नानेन किं फलं तस्य यदि जानासि तद्वद॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 170.83

Transliteration

sarasvatyāḥ saṅgame ca yatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ॥ snānena kiṃ phalaṃ tasya yadi jānāsi tad vada॥

Translation

“സരസ്വതിയുടെ സംഗമത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യന് ഏതു ഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു? അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ എന്ത് ഫലം? അറിയുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ പറയുക.”

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Word by Word

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• सङ्गमे: at the confluence/meeting-place
• सङ्गमे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• यत्-फलम्: what result
• यत्-फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘यत् फलम्’ (that fruit/result which)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: of that / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (if)

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Gokarṇa

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ritual Bathing
• Tīrtha-Māhātmya

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies the tīrtha-māhātmya genre: a question-and-answer format that catalogues the perceived results of visiting and bathing at specific confluences, functioning as a cultural map of sacred landscapes.

Which geographic location is identified?

A “Sarasvatī-saṅgama” (a confluence associated with Sarasvatī). Exact identification varies across Purāṇic traditions and later regional tīrtha lists; scholars treat it as part of a broader sacred hydrography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Inquiry before action: the verse models seeking knowledge about practices and their stated aims, rather than performing them unreflectively.