Varaha Purana 99.3: Adhyaya 99, Shloka 3

The Greatness and Rite of the Sesame-Cow (Tiladhenu) Gift

Devanagari script

वैष्णव्याख्या ततो देव कथमेतद्धि शंस मे ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ द्वयं जगद्धिता देवी गङ्गा शङ्कर सुप्रिया ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 99.3

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavyākhyā tato deva katham etaddhi śaṃsa me || śrīvarāha uvāca || dvayaṃ jagaddhitā devī gaṅgā śaṅkarasupriyā ||

Translation

Kemudian (Sang Dewi berkata): “Wahai Tuhan, jelaskanlah kepadaku dengan sempurna bagaimana kisah tentang Vaiṣṇavī ini harus difahami.” Śrī Varāha bersabda: “Wahai Dewi, demi kesejahteraan dunia ada dua hakikat—iaitu Dewi Gaṅgā, dewi yang amat dikasihi oleh Śaṅkara.”

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Word by Word

• vaiṣṇavī-ākhyā: the name/epithet ‘Vaiṣṇavī’
• vaiṣṇavī-ākhyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vaiṣṇavyāḥ ākhyā)

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• katham: how?
• katham: Prashna (प्रश्न-निबन्धन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/indeed (निश्चयार्थ)

• śaṃsa: tell/declare
• śaṃsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्, imperative), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• me: to me / for me
• me: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive/Dative form ‘me’ (षष्ठी/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); enclitic pronoun

• śrī-varāhaḥ: the venerable Varāha
• śrī-varāhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (śrīmān varāhaḥ)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• dvayam: a pair / twofold (thing)
• dvayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• jagat-hitā: beneficial to the world
• jagat-hitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jagataḥ hitā)

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gaṅgā: Gaṅgā
• gaṅgā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śaṅkara-supriyā: very dear to Śaṅkara
• śaṅkara-supriyā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक) + supriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śaṅkarasya supriyā)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Śaivism
• Ancient Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects Purāṇic strategies of integrating river veneration with broader pan-Indian sacred geography, framing Gaṅgā as a universal benefactor (jagaddhitā) within inter-sectarian literary discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

Gaṅgā is identified; in historical geography it refers to the Ganges river system of North India, central to pilgrimage networks documented in Purāṇic and epigraphic sources.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse introduces a welfare-oriented framing: sacred institutions (here, Gaṅgā and related traditions) are presented as serving the common good (jagat-hita), a recurring Purāṇic ethical motif.