Varaha Purana 77.24: Adhyaya 77, Shloka 24

Measurements of Mount Meru, the Boundary Mountains, and the Four Directional Great Trees

Devanagari script

महोच्छ्रायो महास्कन्धो नैकसत्त्वगुणालयः | कुम्भप्रमाणै रुचिरैः फलैः सर्वर्त्तुकैः शुभैः || ७७.२४ ||

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 77.24

Transliteration

mahocchrāyo mahāskandho naikasattvaguṇālayaḥ | kumbhapramāṇai ruciraiḥ phalaiḥ sarvarttukaiḥ śubhaiḥ || 77.24 ||

Translation

स महोच्छ्रायो महास्कन्धो नानासत्त्वगुणालयः; कुम्भप्रमाणैः रुचिरैः शुभैः सर्वर्तुकैः फलैः समृद्धः।

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Word by Word

• महोच्छ्रायः: of great height
• महोच्छ्रायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्-उच्छ्राय (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + उच्छ्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् उच्छ्रायः यस्य/यः)

• महास्कन्धः: having a huge trunk
• महास्कन्धः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; महा + स्कन्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• नैकसत्त्वगुणालयः: abode of many qualities/virtues
• नैकसत्त्वगुणालयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न-एक-सत्त्व-गुण-आलय (प्रातिपदिक; न + एक + सत्त्व + गुण + आलय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (न एकः = अनेक), तत्पुरुष-समास (अनेकानां सत्त्वगुणानाम् आलयः)

• कुम्भप्रमाणैः: of pot-like measure (large)
• कुम्भप्रमाणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुम्भ-प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक; कुम्भ + प्रमाण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (कुम्भवत् प्रमाणम्)

• रुचिरैः: beautiful
• रुचिरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• फलैः: with fruits
• फलैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वर्त्तुकैः: seasonal in all seasons / all-season
• सर्वर्त्तुकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ऋतु-क (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + ऋतु + क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषु ऋतुषु भवम्)

• शुभैः: auspicious
• शुभैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Sanskrit
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Ecological Narratives

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies Purāṇic natural-history style, where flora are described with aesthetic and ecological markers (size, seasonality, habitat value), reflecting early South Asian literary attention to landscape and resource abundance.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym is named in this verse; it functions as a descriptive unit within a broader sacred-geographic/ecological passage.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, the verse values trees as multi-benefit habitats (naikasattvaguṇālayaḥ) and as perennial providers, aligning with stewardship-oriented appreciation of living landscapes rather than extractive use.