Varaha Purana 187.2: Adhyaya 187, Shloka 2

Determination of the Origin and Procedure of the Ancestral Offering

Pitṛyajña/Śrāddha

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच ॥ श्रुतमेतन्मयाख्यानं क्षेत्रस्य च महत्फलम् ॥ एकं मे परमं गुह्यं तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 187.2

Transliteration

dharaṇy uvāca || śrutam etan mayākhyānaṁ kṣetrasya ca mahat phalam || ekaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ tad bhavān vaktum arhati ||

Translation

دھرتی نے کہا: میں نے یہ بیان اور اس مقدس کھیتر کا عظیم پھل سن لیا ہے۔ مگر میرے لیے ایک نہایت راز کی بات باقی ہے—آپ مہربانی فرما کر اسے بیان کریں۔

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Word by Word

• dharaṇī: Earth (Dharaṇī)
• dharaṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śrutam: heard
• śrutam: Karma (कर्म; with implied ‘mayā’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘heard’

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म; object-content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ākhyānam: narration; account
• ākhyānam: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध; ‘this narration’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kṣetrasya: of the sacred field/place
• kṣetrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

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

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of phalam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma/Content (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ekam: one
• ekam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of guhyaṁ)

• me: my; for me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (enclitic)

• paramam: supreme; highest
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of guhyaṁ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• guhyam: secret (matter)
• guhyam: Karma (कर्म/object of vaktum)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म; refers to ‘guhyam’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)

• vaktum: to tell
• vaktum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to speak/tell’

• arhati: is fit; ought
• arhati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Geography
• Ritual Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic pedagogical structure: after hearing a site’s merit (kṣetra-phala), the inquirer requests deeper, esoteric rationale, linking geography with ritual theory.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse mentions a generic kṣetra (“sacred field/region”) without naming a specific place; identification depends on surrounding chapters.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The value of disciplined questioning: knowledge is not merely received but responsibly requested and clarified.