Varaha Purana 176.87: Adhyaya 176, Shloka 87

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

Devanagari script

दुर्भिक्षपीडिते राष्ट्रे गतौ तौ दक्षिणापथम् ॥ नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले ब्राह्मणानां पुरोत्तमे ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 176.87

Transliteration

durbhikṣapīḍite rāṣṭre gatau tau dakṣiṇāpatham || narmadādakṣiṇe kūle brāhmaṇānāṁ purottame ||

Translation

രാജ്യം ദുര്ഭിക്ഷം മൂലം പീഡിതമായപ്പോൾ അവർ ഇരുവരും ദക്ഷിണാപഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി. നർമദയുടെ തെക്കൻ തീരത്ത് ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ പുരത്തിൽ എത്തി.

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Word by Word

• दुर्भिक्षपीडिते: in the kingdom afflicted by famine
• दुर्भिक्षपीडिते: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष + पीडित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुर्भिक्षेण पीडितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राष्ट्रे इति विशेषणम्

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom
• राष्ट्रे: अधिकरण (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतौ: having gone
• गतौ: कर्ता (कर्ता-समूहः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतम्/गत (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; तौ इति विशेषणम् (past participle used adjectivally)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: कर्ता (subject: the two)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• दक्षिणापथम्: to the southern route/region (Dakṣiṇāpatha)
• दक्षिणापथम्: कर्म (destination/object of going)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दक्षिणायाः पथः/दक्षिणदेशस्य पथः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गमनस्य कर्म (destination)

• नर्मदा: of the Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदा: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दक्षिणे इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः (नर्मदायाः)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: अधिकरण (location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कूले इति विशेषणम्

• कूले: on the bank
• कूले: अधिकरण (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुरोत्तमे: in the best of towns/cities
• पुरोत्तमे: अधिकरण (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुरेषु उत्तमम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणवाचक

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

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

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a narrative memory of famine-driven mobility and references Dakṣiṇāpatha, aiding research into how Purāṇas map social movement onto Indian geography.

Which geographic location is identified?

Narmadā river and Dakṣiṇāpatha are explicitly mentioned; the ‘foremost Brahmin settlement’ is not named here but indicates a recognized regional center.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Indirectly, it frames resilience and relocation amid hardship; the verse is mainly descriptive rather than prescriptive.