Varaha Purana 166.24: Adhyaya 166, Shloka 24

The Greatness of the Sacred Pond Called Asikuṇḍa

Pūrva Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (Merit and Sacred Geography)

Devanagari script

चतुःसागरपर्यन्ता क्रान्ता तेन धरा ध्रुवम् ॥ तीर्थानां माठुराणां च सर्वेषां फलमश्नुते ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 166.24

Transliteration

catuḥsāgaraparyantā krāntā tena dharā dhruvam || tīrthānāṃ māṭhurāṇāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ phalam aśnute

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

แท้จริงด้วยการกระทำนั้น ประหนึ่งได้จาริกไปทั่วแผ่นดินที่มีมหาสมุทรทั้งสี่เป็นขอบเขต; และย่อมได้รับผลบุญแห่งตีรถะทั้งปวงในมถุรา

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Word by Word

• चतुःसागरपर्यन्ता: extending to the four oceans
• Type: Adjective
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पर्यन्तः = सीमा; ‘up to four oceans’)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: चतुः + सागर + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)

• क्रान्ता: was traversed/covered
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (having been traversed)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Root: क्रम् (धातु)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धरा: the earth
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (adverb: certainly)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• माठुराणाम्: of Mathurā (Mathurā-related)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tīrthānām)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: माठुर (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)

• अश्नुते: obtains/enjoys
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: अश् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• फलमश्नुते → फलम् अश्नुते

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Sacred region / tīrtha-network

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious; receptive to māhātmya claims

What she asks

What is the extent of merit gained by this single act at Asikuṇḍa/Mathurā tīrthas?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Tīrtha-theology (place as grace)

Subjects

GeographySacred GeographyPilgrimage Economy

Core idea

Sacred geography can ‘condense’ spiritual effort: one rightly performed act can equal extensive wandering.

In practice

Approach tīrtha with faith and prescribed conduct; prioritize quality of observance over mere travel mileage.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Purāṇic Tīrtha Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a classical cosmographic idiom (“earth bounded by four oceans”) and connects it to localized pilgrimage merit, illustrating how Purāṇas scale local sites to pan-Indic sacred value.

Which geographic location is identified?

Mathurā is explicitly referenced (māṭhurāṇāṃ tīrthānām), within a broader cosmographic model of the world.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It promotes concentrated, place-based practice—valuing a specific heritage landscape—framed as spiritually efficacious without asserting coercive exclusivity.