Varaha Purana 175.21: Adhyaya 175, Shloka 21

The Sanctity of the Kṛṣṇagaṅgā Pilgrimage-Ford and the Account of the Brahmin Vasu’s Daughter

Devanagari script

एवंविधा तत्र तत्र तीर्थस्नानपरायणा ॥ दृष्टा वेश्यसमूहेन प्रागल्भ्येन तदा क्वचित् ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 175.21

Transliteration

evaṃvidhā tatra tatra tīrthasnānaparāyaṇā | dṛṣṭā veśyāsamūhena prāgalbhyena tadā kvacit ||

Translation

ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള രൂപവതിയായ അവൾ ഇടവിടാതെ വിവിധ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നതിൽ പരായണയായിരുന്നു. ഒരിക്കൽ ധൃഷ്ടസ്വഭാവമുള്ള വേശ്യകളുടെ സംഘം അവളെ കണ്ടു.

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Word by Word

• एवं-विधा: of such a kind
• एवं-विधा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एवं + विधा)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• तत्र: there (in various places)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति—‘here and there’

• तीर्थ-स्नान-परायणा: devoted to bathing at sacred fords
• तीर्थ-स्नान-परायणा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्नाने परायणा)

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘दृष्ट’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘was seen’

• वेश्या-समूहेन: by a group of courtesans
• वेश्या-समूहेन: Kartr (कर्ता; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक) + समूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वेश्याः समूहः)

• प्रागल्भ्येन: with boldness/forwardness
• प्रागल्भ्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रागल्भ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• क्वचित्: somewhere/at some time
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक अनिश्चित (indefinite adverb)

Speaker

Varāha (default for this fragmentary excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It juxtaposes tīrtha-practice (ritual bathing) with social groups present around pilgrimage circuits, offering material for studying lived religious geographies and social interaction in narrative sources.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse mentions tīrthas in general but does not name a specific site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it foregrounds pilgrimage discipline (tīrtha-snānā) as a valued practice, though no direct instruction is stated.