Varaha Purana 13.8: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 8

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तः स विप्रेन्द्रो मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा मुनिं गौरमुखं तदा ॥ १३.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.8

Transliteration

evam uktaḥ sa viprendro mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ | uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā muniṁ gauramukhaṁ tadā || 13.8 ||

Translation

এইদৰে সম্বোধিত হৈ, মহাতপস্বী আৰু বিপ্ৰশ্ৰেষ্ঠ মাৰ্কণ্ডেয় তেতিয়া মুনি গৌৰমুখক কোমল বাক্যৰে ক’লে।

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Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• uktaḥ: having been addressed / spoken to
• uktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (sg.)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vipra-indraḥ: chief of Brahmins
• vipra-indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘viprāṇām indraḥ’

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mahā-tapāḥ: great ascetic
• mahā-tapāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘mahat tapaḥ yasya’ (बहुव्रीहि-सदृश प्रयोग, परन्तु रूपतः विशेषण)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ślakṣṇayā: with gentle
• ślakṣṇayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślakṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (vācā-विशेषण)

• vācā: speech/words
• vācā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (वाच्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• munim: the sage
• munim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• gauramukham: Gauramukha (name)
• gauramukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaura (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘gauraṃ mukhaṃ yasya/gaura-mukhaḥ’ (नामरूपेण)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Philology
• Oral-Textual Transmission

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It functions as a narrative hinge in Purāṇic transmission: an authoritative ascetic (Mārkaṇḍeya) is introduced as a speaker addressing another sage, indicating a chain-of-teachers framework typical of Purāṇic compilation and recitation contexts.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it primarily establishes interlocutors (Mārkaṇḍeya and Gauramukha) and the manner of speech.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse implies an ethic of discourse and pedagogy: instruction is delivered with ślakṣṇā vācā (gentle speech), emphasizing courteous communication within learned dialogue.