Varaha Purana 175.3: Adhyaya 175, Shloka 3

The Sanctity of the Kṛṣṇagaṅgā Pilgrimage-Ford and the Account of the Brahmin Vasu’s Daughter

Devanagari script

सोमवैकुण्ठयोर्मध्ये कृष्णाङ्गेति कथ्यते ॥ यत्रातप्यत स व्यासो मथुरायां स्थितोऽमलः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 175.3

Transliteration

somavaikuṇṭhayor madhye kṛṣṇāṅgeti kathyate || yatrātapyata sa vyāso mathurāyāṁ sthito 'malaḥ ||

Translation

据说在苏摩（Soma）与毗昆塔（Vaikuṇṭha）之间有一处名为“克里希那安伽”（Kṛṣṇāṅga）之地；在那里，住于摩图罗（Mathurā）的毗耶娑（Vyāsa）清净无染，修行苦行（tapasyā）。

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Word by Word

• सोमवैकुण्ठयोः: of Soma and Vaikuṇṭha
• सोमवैकुण्ठयोः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (सोमश्च वैकुण्ठश्च)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘मध्ये’ = in the middle

• कृष्णाङ्गा: (a place/river) named Kṛṣṇāṅgā
• कृष्णाङ्गा: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + अङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णम् अङ्गम् यस्याः/कृष्णा अङ्गा)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• कथ्यते: is called / is said
• कथ्यते: क्रिया (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (स्थान/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• आतप्यत: performed austerity / did penance
• आतप्यत: क्रिया (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘आ-’ उपसर्ग

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मथुरायाम्: in Mathurā
• मथुरायाम्: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• स्थितः: staying / situated
• स्थितः: कर्ता-विशेषण (कर्तृविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = having stayed/being situated

• अमलः: pure, spotless
• अमलः: कर्ता-विशेषण (कर्तृविशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies व्यासः)

Speaker

Varāha (continued narration)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Heritage Sites

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves toponymic memory (Kṛṣṇāṅga; Soma; Vaikuṇṭha) and links it to Vyāsa and Mathurā, indicating how Purāṇas anchored authority in specific landscapes.

Which geographic location is identified?

Mathurā is explicitly mentioned (modern Mathura, Uttar Pradesh). The names Soma and Vaikuṇṭha may denote local sacred points or symbolic markers; precise modern identification is uncertain from this fragment alone.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Austerity (tapas) is presented as a disciplined pursuit situated within a cultural landscape, emphasizing self-restraint and purposeful dwelling.