Varaha Purana 183.13: Adhyaya 183, Shloka 13

Installation of a Clay Icon (Mṛnmayārcā) and the Ritual Protocol of Worship

Devanagari script

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं सुगोप्यं च प्रयत्नतः ॥ मृन्मयीं प्रतिमां कृत्वा मम कर्मसु निष्ठितः ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 183.13

Transliteration

etat te sarvam ākhyātaṃ sugopyaṃ ca prayatnataḥ || mṛnmayīṃ pratimāṃ kṛtvā mama karmasu niṣṭhitaḥ ||

Translation

All dies ist dir dargelegt worden — ein Geheimnis, das mit Sorgfalt zu bewahren ist. Nachdem du ein Bildnis aus Ton gefertigt hast, bleibe standhaft in den mir zugehörigen Riten.

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Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘this’ (here: object of ‘told’)

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (4th/6th), एकवचन (Singular) — here: चतुर्थी (to you)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• आख्यातम्: has been explained/told
• आख्यातम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (told/declared)

• सुगोप्यम्: very secret/closely guarded
• सुगोप्यम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + गोप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु + गोप्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (Conjunction)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘from/with effort’; क्रियाविशेषण

• मृन्मयीम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयीम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृन्मयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• प्रतिमाम्: an image/idol
• प्रतिमाम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having done/made’

• मम: my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मसु: in (ritual) acts
• कर्मसु: अधिकरण (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• निष्ठितः: steadfast/engaged
• निष्ठितः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘steadfast/engaged’

Speaker

Varāha (default instructor voice for this ritual instruction segment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Puranic Ritual
• Material Culture

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents ritual knowledge-transmission norms (controlled dissemination) and points to the material practice of clay icon production, relevant to the history of South Asian ritual arts.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified here; the verse concerns procedure and transmission of ritual knowledge.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Steadfastness (niṣṭhā) in prescribed actions and responsible handling of specialized knowledge (sugopya).