Varaha Purana 71.33: Adhyaya 71, Shloka 33
Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account
सोऽब्रवीन्मां जकटासंस्थां देहि गङ्गां तपस्विनीम् । मया सार्धं प्रयात्वेषा पुण्या भागीरथी नदी ॥ ७१.३३ ॥
so 'bravīn māṃ jakaṭāsaṃsthāṃ dehi gaṅgāṃ tapasvinīm | mayā sārdhaṃ prayātv eṣā puṇyā bhāgīrathī nadī || 71.33 ||
Ele me disse: “Ó asceta, concede-me a Gaṅgā—Bhāgīrathī—que está assentada nas madeixas emaranhadas (jaṭā); que este rio sagrado siga comigo.”
Varāha (default speaker framework; explicit speaker not named in fragment)
FAQs
It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic motif in which the Gaṅgā is described as being held in matted locks (jaṭā) and then released, linking sacred geography with narrative memory and pilgrimage discourse.
The river is identified as Bhāgīrathī (a principal name/stream associated with the Gaṅgā); in modern geography, Bhāgīrathī refers to a major headstream in Uttarakhand and also a distributary name in Bengal, depending on regional usage.
The verse foregrounds the cultural-ethical ideal of reverent custodianship of sacred waters—treating rivers as carriers of collective heritage and moral value rather than as merely utilitarian resources.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
