Varaha Purana 166.1: Adhyaya 166, Shloka 1

The Greatness of the Sacred Pond Called Asikuṇḍa

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच ॥ श्रुतानि तु महादेव तीर्थानि विविधानि तु ॥ असिकुण्डेति संज्ञेयं तन्मे त्वं कथय प्रभो

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 166.1

Transliteration

dharaṇy uvāca || śrutāni tu mahādeva tīrthāni vividhāni tu || asikuṇḍeti saṃjñeyaṃ tan me tvaṃ kathaya prabho

Translation

Ziemia rzekła: O Mahadewa, słyszałam o różnych świętych brodach. Proszę, powiedz mi, o Panie, o tym, które znane jest pod nazwą Asikunda.

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Word by Word

• धरणी: Earth (goddess)
• धरणी: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रुतानि: heard
• श्रुतानि: विधेय (predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'heard'

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: कर्तृविशेषण (subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'तीर्थानि')

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• असि-कुण्ड-इति: (called) ‘Asikuṇḍa’
• असि-कुण्ड-इति: विधेय (predicate nominative/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (असिकुण्ड); 'इति' नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (संज्ञा-रूपेण)

• संज्ञेयम्: should be designated
• संज्ञेयम्: विधेय (predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे क्तव्य-भाव (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'to be designated/should be called'

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• मे: to me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन; enclitic 'me' (for me/of me); here चतुर्थी (dative)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular pronoun

• कथय: tell/explain
• कथय: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; नामधातु from कथा)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular

Speaker

Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Sacred Hydrology
• Purāṇic Dialogue

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It marks a new chapter transition framed as a question-answer unit, a standard Purāṇic method for cataloging sacred sites and their cultural functions.

Which geographic location is identified?

A site named Asikuṇḍa (a 'kuṇḍa' or sacred pond/tank). The verse itself does not provide a modern identification.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It models inquiry-based transmission of knowledge: the inquirer requests precise information about sacred geography rather than asserting it without examination.