Varaha Purana 166.25: Adhyaya 166, Shloka 25

The Greatness of the Sacred Pond Called Asikuṇḍa

Devanagari script

तत्र सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु असिकुण्डं महत्तरम् ॥ या संख्या कथिता पूर्वं तीर्थानां दक्षिणोत्तरे ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 166.25

Transliteration

tatra sarveṣu tīrtheṣu asikuṇḍaṃ mahattaram || yā saṃkhyā kathitā pūrvaṃ tīrthānāṃ dakṣiṇottare

Translation

ఆ అన్ని తీర్థాలలో అసికుండమే అత్యంత మహత్తరమైనది. దక్షిణ-ఉత్తర దిశల తీర్థాల సంఖ్యగా ముందుగా చెప్పబడినది…

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थेषु: in the pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• असिकुण्डम्: Asi-pond (Asikuṇḍa)
• असिकुण्डम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नामनिर्देश)

• महत्तरम्: greater
• महत्तरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• या: which
• या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• संख्या: number/count
• संख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथिता: was told/declared
• कथिता: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: earlier/before)

• तीर्थानाम्: of the pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दक्षिणोत्तरे: in the south and north (i.e., in the southern and northern [regions])
• दक्षिणोत्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (directional pair)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Indology (Tīrtha Lists)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It indicates a structured tīrtha-catalog tradition (lists by direction), valuable for reconstructing regional pilgrimage networks and their textual hierarchies.

Which geographic location is identified?

Asikuṇḍa is explicitly named; directional framing (south/north) suggests a broader mapped tīrtha circuit.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

A cultural instruction to recognize and preserve prominent heritage sites within a wider landscape of sacred places.