Varaha Purana 176.32: Adhyaya 176, Shloka 32

The Māhātmya of Kṛṣṇagaṅgodbhava, Kāliñjara, and the Five Sacred Baths: The Tale of Pāñcāla and Tilottamā

Devanagari script

नीता नरकमत्युग्रं मया पापिष्ठया भृशम् ॥ एवं सा तस्य तत्सर्वं कथयित्वा तिलोत्तमा ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 176.32

Transliteration

nītā narakam atyugraṃ mayā pāpiṣṭhayā bhṛśam || evaṃ sā tasya tatsarvaṃ kathayitvā tilottamā ||

Translation

Durch mich — die überaus Sündige — wurde sie mit großer Härte in eine höchst schreckliche Hölle getrieben. So fuhr Tilottamā fort, nachdem sie ihm all dies berichtet hatte.

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Word by Word

• नीता: (she) was led
• नीता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे: (she) was led

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination as object)

• अति-उग्रम्: very terrible
• अति-उग्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नरकम्); कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास: very fierce

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभाव (agent/instrument)

• पापिष्ठया: (by me) most sinful
• पापिष्ठया: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) → पापिष्ठ (तरप्/तमप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; अतिशय-तुलनात्मक (superlative): most sinful; ‘मया’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• भृशम्: exceedingly
• भृशम्: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier: exceedingly)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: to him/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तत्-सर्वम्: all that
• तत्-सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘तत् एव सर्वम्’ = all that; कर्म (object of kathayitvā)

• कथयित्वा: having narrated
• कथयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (Absolutive/ल्यप्); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having told)

• तिलोत्तमा: Tilottamā
• तिलोत्तमा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलोत्तमा (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (proper noun)

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Moral Psychology
• Prāyaścitta Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates a common Purāṇic mechanism: moral causality expressed through naraka imagery, coupled with confession as a narrative device leading toward expiation.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic site is named in this verse; it is primarily moral-narrative and cosmographic (nāraka) rather than topographic.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Actions have severe consequences for oneself and others; acknowledging wrongdoing becomes a step toward ethical repair and prāyaścitta.