Varaha Purana 176.5: Adhyaya 176, Shloka 5

The Māhātmya of Kṛṣṇagaṅgodbhava, Kāliñjara, and the Five Sacred Baths: The Tale of Pāñcāla and Tilottamā

Devanagari script

कौतुकार्थं ततो गत्वा देवं गर्त्तेश्वरं तदा ॥ तिलोत्तमायास्तद्रूपं दृष्ट्वा मोहवशं गतः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 176.5

Transliteration

kautukārthaṃ tato gatvā devaṃ gartteśvaraṃ tadā | tilottamāyās tadrūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā mohavaśaṃ gataḥ ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് കൗതുകവശാൽ അവൻ പോയി ഗർത്ത്തേശ്വര ദേവനെ സമീപിച്ചു. തിലോത്തമയുടെ ആ രൂപം കണ്ടതുമാത്രത്തിൽ അവൻ മോഹവശനായി.

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Word by Word

• कौतुकार्थम्: for the sake of curiosity
• कौतुकार्थम्: हेतु (प्रयोजन/निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कौतुकस्य अर्थः)

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: देश/काल-अधिकरण (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (तस्मात्/ततः = then/from there)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); धातु: गम्; अर्थः: having gone

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गर्त्तेश्वरम्: Gartteśvara (Lord of the pit/cave)
• गर्त्तेश्वरम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त्त-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गर्त्तस्य ईश्वरः)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: काल-अधिकरण (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (then/at that time)

• तिलोत्तमायाः: of Tilottamā
• तिलोत्तमायाः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलोत्तमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तत्-रूपम्: that form/appearance
• तत्-रूपम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (तत् एव रूपम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); धातु: दृश्; अर्थः: having seen

• मोह-वशम्: into the power of delusion
• मोह-वशम्: गति-लक्ष्य/अवस्था (कर्मसमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह-वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मोहस्य वशः)

• गतः: (he) went/entered
• गतः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः: gone/entered

Speaker

Varāha (continuation of narration)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Sacred Geography
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ethical Psychology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a localized deity-name (Gartteśvara) and uses the motif of moha to drive narrative causality, relevant for studying temple-linked storytelling.

Which geographic location is identified?

A specific shrine/deity-name, Gartteśvara, is mentioned; the broader setting is the Mathurā region implied by the surrounding verses.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It highlights susceptibility to moha (delusion) arising from sensory attraction, a common ethical-psychological theme in Sanskrit narrative literature.