Varaha Purana 197.28: Adhyaya 197, Shloka 28

The Division of the Gates of Yama’s City and the Description of the Tribunal Hall

Devanagari script

अतः परं न कर्त्तव्यं साधनं कथितं बुधैः ॥ बिभ्यन्ति ह्यसुरास्तत्र ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 197.28

Transliteration

ataḥ paraṃ na karttavyaṃ sādhanaṃ kathitaṃ budhaiḥ | bibhyanti hy asurās tatra ṛṣayaś ca tapodhanāḥ ||

Translation

Darum soll darüber hinaus keine weitere Übung unternommen werden — so haben es die Weisen verkündet; denn dort fürchten sich selbst die Asuras und die an Askese reichen Rishis.

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Word by Word

• अतः: therefore/from this
• अतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (ablative adverb: ‘therefore/from this’)

• परम्: further/more
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• कर्तव्यं: to be done/should be done
• कर्तव्यं: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘करणीयम्’

• साधनम्: means/practice
• साधनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथितम्: said/declared
• कथितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying साधनम्)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Kartr (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बिभ्यन्ति: they fear
• बिभ्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• असुराः: demons/asuras
• असुराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• तपोधनाः: those whose wealth is austerity (ascetics)
• तपोधनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक) [तपस् + धन]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (तपः धनं येषां ते)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ascetic Traditions
• Dharma Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It records a cautionary register within Purāṇic discourse on sādhana, indicating that certain domains or procedures were framed as dangerous even for powerful beings—useful for mapping ascetic boundaries in Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No terrestrial location is named; “there” refers to the described cosmological setting.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Restraint: do not proceed beyond prescribed limits of practice; heed the guidance attributed to the wise.