Varaha Purana 133.2: Adhyaya 133, Shloka 2

Expiations for ritual-time impurity and the offense of defecation/urination in a sacred context

Devanagari script

मक्षिका पञ्च वर्षाणि त्रीणि वर्षाणि मूषकः ॥ श्वा चैव त्रीणि वर्षाणि कूर्मो वै जायते नव ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 133.2

Transliteration

makṣikā pañca varṣāṇi trīṇi varṣāṇi mūṣakaḥ | śvā caiva trīṇi varṣāṇi kūrmo vai jāyate nava ||

Translation

(Man wird) fünf Jahre lang eine Fliege; drei Jahre eine Maus; drei Jahre ein Hund; und wahrlich wird man neun Jahre lang als Schildkröte geboren.

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Word by Word

• मक्षिका: fly
• मक्षिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मक्षिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-शब्द (numeral), अव्ययवत्; here qualifying ‘वर्षाणि’ (five)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-शब्द, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; qualifying ‘वर्षाणि’

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• मूषकः: mouse/rat
• मूषकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्वा: dog
• श्वा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रातिपदिक ‘श्वन्’ irregular nominative ‘श्वा’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-शब्द, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; qualifying ‘वर्षाणि’

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कूर्मः: tortoise
• कूर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/assurance

• जायते: is born/arises
• जायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नव: nine
• नव: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-शब्द (numeral), अव्ययवत्; here ‘nine (years)’ as complement

Speaker

Varāha (contextual continuation)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ethics
• Didactic Catalogs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a mnemonic list-format used in Purāṇic moral instruction, where consequence is communicated through recognizable life-forms and durations.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic reference appears in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Conduct is portrayed as consequential across lifetimes, encouraging ethical restraint through the logic of moral causality.