Varaha Purana 204.2: Adhyaya 204, Shloka 2

Description of the Dispatching of Messengers (Yama’s Envoys) and Chitragupta’s Orders

Devanagari script

दूरेऽसाविति किं कार्यं न क्षयोऽस्त्यस्य कर्मणः ॥ किं कृपां कुरुते तस्मिन् गृहाण जहि मा व्यथाः ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 204.2

Transliteration

dūre 'sāv iti kiṃ kāryaṃ na kṣayo 'sty asya karmaṇaḥ || kiṃ kṛpāṃ kurute tasmin gṛhāṇa jahi mā vyathāḥ

Translation

„(Zu sagen) ‚Er ist weit weg‘—was soll das? Sein Karma ist nicht erschöpft. Warum ihm Mitleid erweisen? Packt ihn; schlagt zu—zögert nicht.“

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Word by Word

• दूरे: far away, at a distance
• दूरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nominative, Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (Interrogative, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• कार्यम्: need, task
• कार्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• क्षयः: destruction, end
• क्षयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अस्ति: is, exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular)

• अस्य: of this/this one's
• अस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• कर्मणः: of the action/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (Interrogative)

• कृपाम्: mercy, compassion
• कृपाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• कुरुते: does, shows
• कुरुते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

• तस्मिन्: in him, towards him
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• गृहाण: seize, take
• गृहाण: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• जहि: strike, kill
• जहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive particle, used esp. with imperative)

• व्यथाः: pains, distress (i.e., do not be distressed)
• व्यथाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Citragupta (implied by 204.1 introducing his speech; direct quote continues)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Karma Theory
• Afterlife Administration

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates the narrative portrayal of moral enforcement: cosmic agents act according to karmic residue rather than personal compassion.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is mentioned; the scene is administrative and cosmological.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes inevitability of consequences: karmic results are depicted as enforceable regardless of distance or pleas for leniency.