Varaha Purana 210.8: Adhyaya 210, Shloka 8

Inquiry into Moral Agency (Karma) and Practical Means for the Dissolution of Sin: the Śiśumāra Contemplation

Devanagari script

यद्येवं तु मया गुह्यं दुर्विज्ञेयं सुरैरपि ॥ शक्यं श्रोतुं महाराज तदाख्याहि तपोधन ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 210.8

Transliteration

yady evaṁ tu mayā guhyaṁ durvijñeyaṁ surair api || śakyaṁ śrotuṁ mahārāja tad ākhyāhi tapodhana ||

Translation

Wenn dem so ist und diese geheime Lehre — selbst für die Götter schwer zu erkennen — gehört werden kann, o großer König, dann verkünde sie, o Schatz der Askese.

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Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• दुर्विज्ञेयम्: difficult to know
• दुर्विज्ञेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/potential passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘hard to be known’

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: even/also)

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘possible’

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to hear’

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (great + king), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आख्याहि: tell/declare
• आख्याहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• तपोधन: O treasure of austerity (ascetic)
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्-धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (wealth of austerity), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Didactic Narrative
• Sanskrit Epithets

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves the Purāṇic convention of framing philosophical content as ‘guhya’ (esoteric), legitimized through dialogue and the authority of ascetic discipline.

Which geographic location is identified?

No place-name appears here; the verse is a request for instruction rather than a tīrtha or site description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It emphasizes careful transmission of difficult knowledge and the role of qualified teachers (tapodhana) in explaining subtle doctrine.