Varaha Purana 151.17: Adhyaya 151, Shloka 17

The Sacred Greatness of Lohārgala

The ‘Iron-Bolt’ Tīrtha

Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha–Māhātmya (Vrata, upavāsa, phala-śruti)

Devanagari script

उपोष्य च त्रिरात्रं तु विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥ ततः स्वर्गसहस्रेषु मोदते नात्र संशयः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 151.17

Transliteration

upoṣya ca trirātraṃ tu vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā || tataḥ svargasahasreṣu modate nātra saṃśayaḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

I po poście trwającym trzy noce, zgodnie z procedurą nakazaną przez rytuał, potem raduje się w tysiącach niebios, o tym nie ma wątpliwości.

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Word by Word

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive, -ya); पूर्वक्रिया (having fasted)
• Role: पूर्वकालक्रिया (prior action)
• Root: उप + √वस्/√उष्? (धातु) → उपोष्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् कृदन्त)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: समुच्चय (connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• त्रिरात्रम्: three nights (a three-night period)
• Type: Noun
• Form: समास: त्रि (संख्या) + रात्र (द्विगु); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)
• Role: कालपरिमाण (duration)
• Root: त्रिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निपात (emphasis/contrast)
• Role: निपात (particle)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• विधिदृष्टेन: as prescribed by rule
• Type: Adjective
• Form: समास: विधि + दृष्ट (तत्पुरुष; 'seen/ordained by rule'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies 'कर्मणा')
• Role: करण-विशेषण (instrument qualifier)
• Root: विधिदृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √दृश् with विधि-)

• कर्मणा: by the rite/action
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: करण (means)
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ततः: thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-भाव (thereafter/from that)
• Role: क्रम/अपादान-प्राय (sequence/source)
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• स्वर्गसहस्रेषु: in thousands of heavens
• Type: Noun
• Form: समास: स्वर्ग + सहस्र (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष; 'thousands of heavens'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन
• Role: अधिकरण (location/state)
• Root: स्वर्गसहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• मोदते: rejoices
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: क्रिया (action)
• Root: √मुद् (धातु)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)
• Role: निषेध (negation)
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• अत्र: here/in this
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here/in this matter)
• Role: अधिकरण (context)
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)

• संशयः: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता/विधेय (predicate noun)
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• svargasahasreṣu is a compound
• nātra = न + अत्र. उपोष्य is a gerund (ktvānta/lyap)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Tīrtha precinct / kuṇḍa environs

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Attentive, seeking assurance about ritual fruits

What she asks

What is the result of fasting for three nights according to prescribed procedure at this sacred context?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Karma-phala logic within Vaiṣṇava frame

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeCosmology

Core idea

Ritual austerity, when aligned with vidhi, reliably yields proportionate fruit; certainty (na atra saṃśayaḥ) underscores śāstra-prāmāṇya.

In practice

If undertaking fasting, follow a defined procedure (dietary restraint, purity, worship), not arbitrary self-mortification.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Varāha continues instructing Bhūmi on the fruit of a three-night fast performed by proper vidhi.

Dharma

Vrata

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ritual Culture
• Indic Cosmology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a standard Purāṇic phala-śruti structure connecting a defined observance (three-night fast) with cosmological reward imagery, useful for studying ritual economy and devotional practice.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit place-name occurs in this verse; it continues the previously mentioned kunda context.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Ritual discipline is framed as adherence to prescribed method (vidhi), emphasizing regulated practice over improvisation.