Varaha Purana 17.54: Adhyaya 17, Shloka 54

King Prajāpāla’s Visit to Sage Mahātapā’s Hermitage and the Doctrinal Praise of Nārāyaṇa

Devanagari script

एवं व्यवस्थिते सोमे षोडशात्मन्यथाक्षरे । प्राग्वत् तत्र गुणोपेतं क्षेत्रमुत्थाय बभ्रम ॥ १७.५४ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 17.54

Transliteration

evaṁ vyavasthite some ṣoḍaśātmani yathākṣare | prāgvat tatra guṇopetaṁ kṣetram utthāya babhrama || 17.54 ||

Translation

เมื่อพระโสมได้รับการสถาปนาอย่างถูกต้องตามหลักการแห่งพยางค์ทั้งสิบหกแล้ว เมื่อนั้น เขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันประกอบด้วยคุณงามความดีก็ลุกขึ้นและเคลื่อนไหวไปมาที่นั่นดังเช่นแต่ก่อน

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus’)

• व्यवस्थिते: when (it was) established
• व्यवस्थिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• सोमे: in Soma / when Soma
• सोमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी सहपद

• षोडश-आत्मनि: in the sixteenfold (state/being)
• षोडश-आत्मनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षोडश आत्मानः यस्य/षोडशात्मा)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (correlative: ‘as’)

• अक्षरे: in the imperishable (principle)
• अक्षरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्राक्-वत्: as before
• प्राक्-वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय) + वत् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘as before’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• गुण-उपेतम्: endowed with qualities
• गुण-उपेतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गुणैः उपेतम् = endowed with qualities) विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: the field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्थाय: having arisen
• उत्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having risen’

• बभ्रम: wandered / roamed
• बभ्रम: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not provided in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology
• Sacred Topography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic synthesis of ritual cosmology (Soma) with linguistic/phonemic schemata (akṣara, sixteenfold structure), illustrating how sacred geography is narrated through ritual-ontological ordering.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym is given in this verse; it refers generically to a kṣetra (“sacred region/field”). Identification depends on adjacent verses in Adhyāya 17.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct moral injunction, the verse frames cultural-ritual order as a condition for a kṣetra’s recognized efficacy (guṇa/merit), implying the importance of maintaining ordered practice and stewardship of sacred spaces.