Varaha Purana 116.19: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 19

An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering

Uttara Bhāga · Dharma–Karma-vipāka (Ethical Consequences and Social Observation)

Devanagari script

दरिद्रो जायते दाता ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥ द्विभार्यः पुरुषो यस्तु तयोरेकां प्रशंसति

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 116.19

Transliteration

daridro jāyate dātā tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim || dvibhāryaḥ puruṣo yas tu tayor ekāṃ praśaṃsati

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Der Gebende wird arm geboren — was könnte schmerzlicher sein als das? Und der Mann, der zwei Ehefrauen hat, preist nur eine von ihnen.

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Word by Word

• daridraḥ: poor
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); predicative adjective
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)

• jāyate: is born / becomes
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: jan (धातु)

• dātā: giver, donor
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agent noun (कर्ता-वाचक)
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक; from √dā दा)

• tataḥ: therefore, then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) meaning 'therefore/then/from that'
• Role: Sambandha/Hetu (सम्बन्ध/हेतु)
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)

• duḥkha-taram: more painful / worse
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā vibhakti (Nom/Acc; प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; comparative degree (तुलनात्मक)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + tara (प्रत्यय)

• nu: indeed? / then?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) used in questions/emphasis
• Role: Prayojaka-nipāta (प्रयोजक-निपात)
• Root: nu (अव्यय)

• kim: what?
• Type: Noun
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā/ Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative pronoun (प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)

• dvi-bhāryaḥ: having two wives
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; dvigu compound meaning 'having two wives' (द्विगु-समास)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: dvi (संख्या) + bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)

• puruṣaḥ: man
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)

• yaḥ: who
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun (सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम)
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction/particle (निपात) meaning 'but/indeed'
• Role: Samuccaya/Avadhāraṇa (समुच्चय/अवधारण)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• tayoḥ: of the two (of them)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃ/Napुंसaka, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Dvivacana (Dual/द्विवचन); demonstrative pronoun
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)

• ekām: one (woman)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; numeral/pronoun used substantively
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)

• praśaṃsati: praises
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra-śaṃs (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• tayoḥ ekām → tayor ekām (visarga sandhi)
• duḥkha-taram written as duḥkhataraṃ (anusvāra)

Speaker and setting

Karuna and Bibhatsa rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics of intention and relational dharma

Subjects

EthicsKarmaSocial Relations

Core idea

Merit is shaped not only by the act (dāna) but by intention and context; relational partiality (favoritism) is adharma that generates suffering despite outward prosperity.

In practice

Give regularly without ego and with discernment; in family life, practice impartiality, truthful speech, and emotional responsibility to prevent harm.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Social History
• Moral Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves moral reflections on perceived injustice (a generous person being poor) and on domestic partiality, both common themes in didactic literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is referenced.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To observe that outcomes may appear paradoxical (generosity with poverty) and that partiality within relationships is a source of suffering.