Varaha Purana 186.39: Adhyaya 186, Shloka 39

Ritual Procedure for Installing Silver and Gold Images, and the Special Status of Śālagrāma

Uttara Bhāga · Śālagrāma-arcana (ritual protocol and household auspiciousness)

Devanagari script

गृहेऽग्निदग्धा भग्ना वा नैव पूज्या वसुन्धरे ॥ आसां तु पूजनाद्गेहे उद्वेगं प्राप्नुयाद्गृही

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 186.39

Transliteration

gṛhe ’gnidagdhā bhagnā vā naiva pūjyā vasundhare || āsāṁ tu pūjanād gehe udvegaṁ prāpnuyād gṛhī

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

โอ้ วสุธรา หากภายในเรือน (ศิลาศาลคราม) ถูกไฟเผาหรือแตกหัก ก็ไม่ควรบูชา. การบูชาศิลา (ที่ชำรุด) ในบ้าน ย่อมนำความหวั่นไหวทุกข์ร้อนแก่คฤหัสถ์.

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Word by Word

• gṛhe: in the house
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)

• agni-dagdhāḥ: burnt by fire
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) ‘dagdha’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (agninā dagdhāḥ)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + √dah (धातु) + kta (कृत्)

• bhagnāḥ: broken
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘broken’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: √bhaj/√bhaṅg (धातु) + kta (कृत्)

• vā: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Disjunction)
• Root: vā (अव्यय)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निषेध-निपात
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• eva: at all / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अवधारण-निपात
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Root: eva (अव्यय)

• pūjyāḥ: fit to be worshipped
• Type: Adjective
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त ‘पूज्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Root: √pūj (धातु) + ya (कृत्)

• vasundhare: O Earth (goddess)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: vasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)

• āsām: of these
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (of these)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Contrast)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• pūjanāt: from worshipping
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान/Source-cause)
• Root: pūjanā (प्रातिपदिक)

• gehe: in the house
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)

• udvegam: disturbance / anxiety
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: udvega (प्रातिपदिक)

• prāpnuyāt: would obtain / would incur
• Type: Verb
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)

• gṛhī: the householder
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: gṛhin (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• gṛhe ’gnidagdhā → gṛhe agni-dagdhāḥ
• pūjanād gehe → pūjanāt gehe (t→d before g)
• prāpnuyād gṛhī → prāpnuyāt gṛhī (t→d before g)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhayanaka rasaSetting: Domestic sacred space

Speaker

Varāha (addressing Pṛthivī/Vasundharā)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Attentive/curious; receiving ritual guidance for householders

What she asks

Which household stones/objects are fit or unfit for worship, and what are the consequences of improper worship?

The teaching

Path

Ritual Ethics

Subjects

Ritual PracticeHousehold EthicsMaterial Culture

Core idea

External order (proper objects) supports inner order (prasāda/peace); negligence in sacred handling breeds anxiety and inauspiciousness.

In practice

Inspect worship-stones/icons; replace or relocate damaged items; maintain a clean, stable home-altar to avoid continual mental disturbance.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Instructional address to Vasundharā about domestic worship-eligibility of stones.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Purāṇic Ritual
• Domestic Worship

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a concern for the condition of worship-objects in domestic settings, illustrating how Purāṇic texts integrate ritual practice with household well-being.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific location is identified; the setting is the general gṛha (household).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Avoid ritual use of compromised objects when they are associated (in the text’s logic) with disturbance to household stability.