Varaha Purana 180.84: Adhyaya 180, Shloka 84

The Glory of Dhruva-Tīrtha: Rules of Ancestor Libations and Śrāddha, and the Consequences of Lineage-Continuity

Devanagari script

समासीनां च विप्रेन्द्रः प्रोवाच विनताननाम् ॥ ध्रुवतीर्थे मयाश्चर्यं यद्दृष्टं कथयामि वः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 180.84

Transliteration

samāsīnāṃ ca viprendraḥ provāca vinatānanām || dhruvatīrthe mayāścaryaṃ yad dṛṣṭaṃ kathayāmi vaḥ ||

Translation

แล้วพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐได้กล่าวแก่ผู้ที่นั่งอยู่ด้วยใบหน้าอ่อนน้อมว่า “ณ ธรุวะ-ตีรถะ ข้าพเจ้าได้ประจักษ์อัศจรรย์ยิ่งนัก; สิ่งที่ข้าพเจ้าเห็นจักเล่าให้ท่านทั้งหลายฟัง”

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• samāsīnām: of those who were seated
• samāsīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (धातु) → samāsīna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (plural); कृदन्त-विशेषण, भूतकृदन्त (past participial adjective) अर्थे ‘उपविष्ट’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vipra-indraḥ: the chief of Brahmins
• vipra-indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (sing.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः’

• provāca: said, spoke
• provāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sing.); परस्मैपदम्

• vinatānanām: the names of Vinatā
• vinatānanām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinatā (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut., ‘नाम’), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘विनतायाः नामानि’

• dhruva-tīrthe: at Dhruva-tīrtha
• dhruva-tīrthe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (sing.); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः ‘ध्रुवं तीर्थम्’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (sing.)

• āścaryam: a wonder, marvel
• āścaryam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (sing.)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (sing.); सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (sing.); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• kathayāmi: I tell, I relate
• kathayāmi: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन (sing.); परस्मैपदम्

• vaḥ: to you / for you
• vaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), बहुवचन (pl.); एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It introduces a tīrtha-centered narrative (Dhruva-tīrtha) typical of Purāṇic sacred geography, functioning as a frame for ethical and ritual instruction.

Which geographic location is identified?

Dhruva-tīrtha is named; its precise modern identification varies by regional tīrtha traditions and requires correlation with local pilgrimage lists and medieval tīrtha-māhātmya maps.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse sets up didactic narration: a witnessed event at a sacred site is presented as a vehicle for moral-ritual teaching.