Varaha Purana 164.4: Adhyaya 164, Shloka 4

The Efficacy of Circumambulating Annakūṭa

Govardhana

Devanagari script

तेषां मध्ये स्थितो भद्रे क्रीडयिष्ये यदृच्छया ॥ तत्र वै शक्रतीर्थे तु स्नानं कुर्याद्दृढ व्रतः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 164.4

Transliteration

teṣāṃ madhye sthito bhadre krīḍayiṣye yadṛcchayā | tatra vai śakra-tīrthe tu snānaṃ kuryād dṛḍha-vrataḥ ||

Translation

โอ้สตรีผู้ประเสริฐ เราจะสำราญอยู่ท่ามกลางทิรถะเหล่านั้นตามแต่บังเอิญ ที่นั่นเอง ณ ศักรทิรถะ ผู้มั่นคงในวัตรพึงประกอบพิธีอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์

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Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those (tīrthas)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• स्थितः: situated; standing
• स्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'standing/being situated'

• भद्रे: O auspicious one
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• क्रीडयिष्ये: I shall play/sport
• क्रीडयिष्ये: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• यदृच्छया: by chance; spontaneously
• यदृच्छया: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (by chance)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/खलु-अर्थे (indeed/emphatic particle)

• शक्रतीर्थे: at Śakra’s (Indra’s) tīrtha
• शक्रतीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शक्रस्य तीर्थे

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do; should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दृढव्रतः: one of firm vow
• दृढव्रतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृढ + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: दृढं व्रतं यस्य सः

Speaker

Varāha (addressing Pṛthivī as “bhadre” by default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Pilgrimage Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Ecological Ethics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It links a named tīrtha (Śakra-tīrtha) with prescribed practice (snāna) and vow-discipline, illustrating how Purāṇic texts codified pilgrimage etiquette and ritual action.

Which geographic location is identified?

Śakra-tīrtha is described as part of the Govardhana sacred landscape; the excerpt provides functional placement but not a modern coordinate-level identification.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The emphasis on dṛḍha-vrata frames pilgrimage as requiring self-regulation, intentionality, and respect for the site and its practices.