Varaha Purana 125.116: Adhyaya 125, Shloka 116

The Cycle of Māyā

Illusory Causation and Perceptual Reversal

Devanagari script

अहं मायाप्रलोभेन गङ्गातीरमुपागतः ॥ दण्डं कुण्डीं च वस्त्रं च तीरे संस्थाप्य यत्ननः ॥ ततः स्नानविधानेन निमग्नस्तज्जलेऽमले ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 125.116

Transliteration

ahaṃ māyāpralobhena gaṅgātīram upāgataḥ || daṇḍaṃ kuṇḍīṃ ca vastraṃ ca tīre saṃsthāpya yatnataḥ || tataḥ snānavidhānena nimagnas tajjale 'male ||

Translation

Aku, terpedaya oleh godaan māyā, datang ke tebing Sungai Gaṅgā. Dengan cermat aku meletakkan tongkat, kendi air, dan pakaian di tepi; kemudian menurut tata cara mandi suci, aku menyelam ke dalam airnya yang murni.

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Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• माया: illusion
• माया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (in compound relation)

• प्रलोभेन: by temptation
• प्रलोभेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• गङ्गा: of the Ganges
• गङ्गा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (in compound relation)

• तीरम्: bank/shore
• तीरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• उपागतः: having come/arrived
• उपागतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle, active sense here); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दण्डम्: staff
• दण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कुण्डीम्: water-pot
• कुण्डीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• वस्त्रम्: cloth/garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• संस्थाप्य: having placed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having placed/established)

• यत्नतः: carefully
• यत्नतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तद्धितान्त अव्यय (adverb); प्रकारवाचक (carefully/with effort)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• स्नान: bathing
• स्नान: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (in compound relation)

• विधानेन: by the procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• निमग्नः: immersed/sunk
• निमग्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मज्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle, active sense); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (in compound relation)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अमले: pure/spotless
• अमले: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जले)

Speaker

Niṣāda (continuing his account; inferred from prior verse)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Geography
• Ritual Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a standardized ritual-bathing scene at the Gaṅgā, including ascetic implements, valuable for reconstructing ritual practice and material culture in Sanskrit narrative texts.

Which geographic location is identified?

Gaṅgā-tīra (the bank of the Ganges), a major sacred geography marker widely attested across Purāṇic and dharma literature.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames self-awareness about being 'lured by delusion' and implicitly cautions that ritual settings can become contexts for moral testing.