Varaha Purana 157.2 — Adhyaya 157, Shloka 2

Praise of the Malayārjuna Sacred Ford and the Mathurā–Yamunā Pilgrimage Cycle

Devanagari script

पर्यस्तं तत्र शकटं भिन्नभाण्डकुटीघटम् ॥ तत्र स्नानोपवासाभ्यामनन्तं फलमश्रुते ॥

Transliteration

paryastaṃ tatra śakaṭaṃ bhinna-bhāṇḍa-kuṭī-ghaṭam || tatra snāna-upavāsābhyām anantaṃ phalam aśrute ||

Translation

ที่นั่นเห็นเกวียนคว่ำอยู่ และภาชนะที่แตกหัก—กระท่อมและหม้อ—ปรากฏอยู่ ที่นั่นด้วยการอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์และการถืออุโบสถ จึงกล่าวว่าได้ผลอานิสงส์อันไม่สิ้นสุด

Word by Word

• paryastam: overturned
• paryastam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari- (उपसर्ग) + as (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) — 'overturned/thrown down' (qualifies śakaṭam)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deictic adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय) — 'there'

• śakaṭam: cart
• śakaṭam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; descriptive clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) — 'cart'

• bhinna-bhāṇḍa-kuṭī-ghaṭam: (with) broken vessels, hut, and pots
• bhinna-bhāṇḍa-kuṭī-ghaṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhinna (mṛ/भिद् धातु + क्त) + bhāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṭī (प्रातिपदिक) + ghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया); dvandva listing items: 'broken vessels, hut, and pots' used adjectivally for śakaṭam (cart laden/associated with these)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deictic adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय) — 'there'

• snāna-upavāsābhyām: by bathing and fasting
• snāna-upavāsābhyām: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dual (द्विवचन), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया) — dvandva: 'by bathing and fasting'

• anantam: endless
• anantam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया) — qualifies phalam

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Singular (एकवचन), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया) — 'fruit/result'

• aśrute: is obtained/said to accrue
• aśrute: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/Present), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद) — 'is heard/ is obtained (as per tradition)'

Speaker

Varāha (contextual continuation)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Varāha continues tīrtha-description, pointing out tangible markers (overturned cart, broken vessels) and prescribing snāna+upavāsa for merit."}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious, contemplative about signs/markers and their merit","key_question":"What is the significance of these physical remnants at the site, and what practice yields the proclaimed ‘endless fruit’?"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":true,"specific_site":"Malayārjuna-tīrtha vicinity (site-markers: overturned cart; broken pots/hut-vessels)","parikrama_context":"Serves as a recognizable landmark for pilgrims during local tīrtha-circuit; material-culture markers help identify the spot.","krishna_connection":"None explicit; remains within Vraja sacred landscape context."}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"At this tīrtha, snāna (ritual bathing) combined with upavāsa (fasting) is praised as producing immeasurable merit.","karmic_consequence":"Observance yields ‘ananta-phala’ (boundless puṇya); neglect is not stated but implies forfeiture of the special merit."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Tīrtha-upavāsa (site-specific fast)","tithi_month":"Not specified here (later verse specifies Jyeṣṭha śukla-dvādaśī for related practice)","promised_fruit":"Ananta-phala (endless/immeasurable merit)."}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-yoga via niyama","core_concept":"Small, embodied disciplines (fasting, bathing) performed in a charged sacred context amplify spiritual results beyond ordinary measure.","practical_application":"Combine bodily restraint (upavāsa) with ritual purity (snāna) when visiting the site; treat even mundane objects as reminders to practice detachment and reverence."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Ritual Practice","Ethics","Material Culture"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: śānta

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha landscape with identifiable relic-like markers

Cross References

Related Themes: Continuation into Jyeṣṭha śukla-dvādaśī bath/dāna instructions (157.3–157.4)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred spot with striking mundane remnants—an overturned cart and broken pots—while pilgrims bathe and observe a fast, suggesting hidden sanctity.","item_prompts":["overturned cart (śakaṭa)","scattered broken pots/vessels","simple hut remains","stepped pond/river edge","fasting pilgrims with folded hands"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized cart and pottery fragments foregrounded; pilgrims at a kuṇḍa performing snāna; Varāha narrating from the side; rich earthy palette and decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-accented sacred pond; embossed cart and pot motifs as symbolic foreground; devotees with minimalistic forms; luminous haloed narrator figure.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: realistic detailing of cart wood and pottery shards; calm bathing scene; soft light on water; restrained devotional mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: quaint rural remnants (cart, pots) in a green riverside setting; small figures bathing/fasting; gentle narrative charm."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"austere yet wondrous","suggested_raga":"Dhanyāsi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"measured, slightly hushed, emphasizing ‘ananta-phala’"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Tīrtha Literature
• Ancient Material Culture
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It combines ritual prescription with material-site markers, suggesting that physical objects and local lore helped pilgrims recognize and remember a tīrtha.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse continues the Malayārjuna-tīrtha setting, describing recognizable features at or near the kuṇḍa.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It emphasizes disciplined practice (fasting with bathing) and implies restraint and simplicity—values compatible with conserving and respecting heritage landscapes.