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Varaha Purana 152.7: Adhyaya 152, Shloka 7

Praise of the Sacred Geography of Mathurā

तीर्थं तद्वद कल्याणं तीर्थानामुत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ यदस्ति दुर्लभं तीर्थं तत्त्वं कथय मे प्रभो ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 152.7

tīrthaṃ tad vada kalyāṇaṃ tīrthānām uttamottamam || yad asti durlabhaṃ tīrthaṃ tattvaṃ kathaya me prabho ||

Huraikanlah tempat ziarah yang membawa kesejahteraan itu—yang paling utama antara segala tīrtha. Tīrtha apa pun yang sukar diperoleh, wahai Prabhu, jelaskan hakikatnya kepadaku.

tīrthampilgrimage place
tīrtham:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
vadatell, speak
vada:
Kriyā (क्रिया/command)
TypeVerb
Rootvad (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
kalyāṇamauspicious
kalyāṇam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootkalyāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
tīrthānāmof pilgrimage places
tīrthānām:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः/among)
TypeNoun
Roottīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)
uttama-uttamamthe very best
uttama-uttamam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootuttama + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya: uttamottama (उत्तमोत्तम) ‘best of the best’
yatwhich
yat:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormRelative pronoun (यद्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
astiis, exists
asti:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootas (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
durlabhamrare, hard to obtain
durlabham:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootdurlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tīrthampilgrimage place
tīrtham:
Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition to yat)
TypeNoun
Roottīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tattvamtruth, essence
tattvam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottattva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
kathayaexplain, tell
kathaya:
Kriyā (क्रिया/command)
TypeVerb
Rootkath (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
meto me
me:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदानम्/recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)
prabhoO lord
prabho:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधनम्)
TypeNoun
Rootprabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī)

C
Classical Literature
P
Purāṇic Studies
A
Ancient Geography
S
Sanskrit Inquiry Discourse

FAQs

It illustrates how tīrtha-māhātmya passages combine geography with philosophical vocabulary (tattva), creating a layered discourse of place and meaning.

No specific tīrtha is named yet; the verse functions as a formal request that sets up the identification of Mathurā in the response.

An ethic of inquiry: the speaker requests not only a name but the ‘tattva’—the underlying rationale—encouraging thoughtful engagement with heritage traditions.

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