Varaha Purana 142.22: Adhyaya 142, Shloka 22

The Greatness of Esoteric Practice: Menstrual Impurity, Mental Equanimity, and Seasonal Conjugal Ethics

Devanagari script

दुर्वृत्तमपि चाण्डालं ब्राह्मणं चापथि स्थितम् ॥ तं तु देवि प्रशंसामि नान्यचित्तं कदाचन ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 142.22

Transliteration

durvṛttam api cāṇḍālaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ cāpati sthitam | taṃ tu devi praśaṃsāmi nānyacittaṃ kadācana ||

Translation

Aun un Caṇḍāla de mala conducta, y aun un Brāhmaṇa que se mantiene en un camino errado—sin embargo, oh Diosa, yo alabo a aquel cuya mente jamás se vuelve hacia otra cosa (aparte de mí).

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Word by Word

• दुर्वृत्तम्: ill-conducted
• दुर्वृत्तम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive): ‘bad-conducted’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying the following noun

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• चाण्डालम्: a caṇḍāla (outcaste)
• चाण्डालम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘caṇḍāla’

• ब्राह्मणम्: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘brāhmaṇa’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• अपथि: on the wrong path
• अपथि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपथिन्/अपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (वैकल्पिक-रूप: अपथि); ‘on the wrong path’

• स्थितम्: standing / being
• स्थितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘standing/being’ (agreeing with ब्राह्मणम्)

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘him/that one’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; address ‘O goddess’

• प्रशंसामि: I praise
• प्रशंसामि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; ‘I praise/commend’

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अन्य-चित्तम्: other-minded
• अन्य-चित्तम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘other-minded’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (understood: ‘one who is other-minded’)

• कदाचन: ever
• कदाचन: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time): ‘ever/at any time’

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Bhakti discourse
• Social history (textual)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic rhetorical move that foregrounds inner orientation (citta) over social status, while still using inherited social labels typical of premodern Sanskrit discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified here; the verse addresses moral-psychological criteria rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Single-minded inner commitment is elevated as a key criterion of worth, contrasted with external identity markers and moral deviation.