Varaha Purana 161.6: Adhyaya 161, Shloka 6

The Efficacy of the Sacred Forests: The Merit of Pilgrimage to Mathurā’s Twelve Groves

Devanagari script

आदौ मधुवनं नाम द्वितीयं तालमेव च ॥ वनं कुन्दवनं चैव तृतीयं वनमुत्तमम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 161.6

Transliteration

ādau madhuvanaṃ nāma dvitīyaṃ tālam eva ca || vanaṃ kundavanaṃ caiva tṛtīyaṃ vanam uttamam ||

Translation

ประการแรกคือป่าชื่อมธุวัน; ประการที่สองคือป่าตาลวัน. ประการที่สามแท้จริงคือป่าอันประเสริฐชื่อกุณฑวัน

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Word by Word

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (at first/in the beginning)

• मधुवनम्: Madhuvana (the Madhu-grove)
• मधुवनम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु-वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मधोः/मधुनः वनम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘named/called’)

• द्वितीयम्: second
• द्वितीयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक

• तालम्: Tāla(-vana) / palm-grove
• तालम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/indeed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (and)

• वनम्: the forest/grove
• वनम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुन्दवनम्: Kundavana (jasmine-grove)
• कुन्दवनम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्द-वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कुन्दस्य वनम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक

• वनम्: forest/grove
• वनम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Ecological Ethics
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a toponymic catalogue of sacred forests, valuable for reconstructing cultural landscapes and pilgrimage circuits.

Which geographic location is identified?

Named forests associated with the Mathurā/Braj sacred region: Madhuvana, Tālavana, and Kundavana.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

By foregrounding forests as sacred sites, the text implicitly supports respectful engagement with wooded landscapes as part of cultural stewardship.