Varaha Purana 167.24: Adhyaya 167, Shloka 24

The Glory of the Viśrānti Tīrtha and the Account of a Rākṣasa’s Liberation

Devanagari script

कस्मिंश्चिदथ कालेन गतोऽहं विष्णुमन्दिरम् ॥ तस्याग्रे तिष्ठते विप्रो वाचको वेदपारगः ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 167.24

Transliteration

kasmiṃścid atha kālena gato 'haṃ viṣṇumandiram || tasyāgre tiṣṭhate vipro vācako vedapāragaḥ

Translation

Pada suatu ketika aku pergi ke sebuah kuil Viṣṇu. Di hadapannya berdiri seorang brāhmaṇa—seorang penceramah, mahir dalam Veda.

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Word by Word

• kasmiṃścit: at some (time)
• kasmiṃścit: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक) + cit (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Indefinite pronoun (किम् + चित्), Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक/then)

• kālena: in the course of time
• kālena: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); temporal instrument

• gataḥ: gone
• gataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kṛdanta past participle (क्त/PPP used actively), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• viṣṇu-mandiram: Viṣṇu’s temple
• viṣṇu-mandiram: Karma (कर्म/Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of Viṣṇu’), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of it/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• agre: in front
• agre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) or indeclinable-locative usage; Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tiṣṭhate: stands
• tiṣṭhate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vācakaḥ: reciter/expounder
• vācakaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācaka (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to vipraḥ

• veda-pāragaḥ: versed in the Vedas
• veda-pāragaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + pāraga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (उपपद/‘gone to the far shore of the Veda’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying vipraḥ

Speaker

Rākṣasa

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"bhakti-through-śravaṇa","core_concept":"Approach to Viṣṇu’s abode and contact with Veda-knowing teachers becomes the doorway to transformation.","practical_application":"Seek satsanga at temples; prioritize listening to qualified exposition (vācaka, vedapāraga) as a practice."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Temple Culture","Transmission of Vedic Learning","Sacred Geography"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: temple precinct

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 167.27 (the vācaka recites Viśrānti-tīrtha māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A rākṣasa arrives at a Viṣṇu temple; at the entrance stands a brāhmaṇa expounder, poised to recite.","item_prompts":["Viṣṇu temple doorway","brāhmaṇa with palm-leaf manuscript","rākṣasa approaching respectfully","lamp/flagstaff (dhvaja)","threshold steps"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: temple gopura simplified, brāhmaṇa in white with manuscript, rākṣasa softened by devotional posture, oil-lamp glow.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: richly ornamented Viṣṇu shrine façade with gold highlights, brāhmaṇa as dignified narrator, rākṣasa at side in reverent stance.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: architectural detail on mandira pillars, delicate facial expressions, manuscript and rosary rendered finely.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate courtyard scene, bright textiles, gentle narrative rhythm, temple as compact icon."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverent-narrative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, respectful, with emphasis on ‘Viṣṇumandiram’ and ‘vedapāragaḥ’."}

Tags

• Varāha Purāṇa
• Sanskrit Religious Institutions (Neutral Archive)
• Vedic Pedagogy
• Vaiṣṇava Heritage Sites

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents the social role of the vācaka (public expounder) and the temple as a venue for textual transmission in Purāṇic imagination.

Which geographic location is identified?

A Viṣṇu temple is mentioned without a specific toponym here; the broader episode links to Ujjayinī in adjacent verses.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Learning and recitation are presented as socially visible practices that can influence listeners, anticipating moral transformation through hearing.