Varaha Purana 5.4: Adhyaya 5, Shloka 4

Reconciliation of Action and Knowledge: Offering All Acts to Nārāyaṇa and the Hymn to the Yajña-Puruṣa

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । कर्मणा प्राप्यते मोक्ष उताहो ज्ञानिना मुने । एतन्मे संशयं छिन्धि यदि मेऽनुग्रहः कृतः ॥ ५.४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 5.4

Transliteration

rājovāca | karmaṇā prāpyate mokṣa utāho jñāninā mune | etan me saṁśayaṁ chindhi yadi me ’nugrahaḥ kṛtaḥ || 5.4 ||

Translation

El rey dijo: «Oh sabio, ¿se alcanza la liberación (mokṣa) por la acción (karma), o más bien por el conocedor (jñānin)? Corta esta duda mía, si me has concedido tu favor».

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Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कर्मणा: by action/ritual work
• कर्मणा: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is attained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत: or
• उत: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• आहो: rather/indeed (or)
• आहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प/प्रश्नार्थक निपात (disjunctive/interrogative particle)

• ज्ञानिना: by a knower (of knowledge)
• ज्ञानिना: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संशयम्: doubt
• संशयम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• छिन्धि: cut/remove
• छिन्धि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Condition (हेतु/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनुग्रहः: favor/grace
• अनुग्रहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृतः: done/granted
• कृतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (to अनुग्रहः)

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharma-śāstra Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a common Purāṇic pedagogical frame—royal inquiry to a sage—used to present debates on liberation (mokṣa) through action (karma) versus knowledge (jñāna), a theme shared across late-Vedic and classical Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is philosophical (means to liberation) rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds disciplined inquiry: a learner should directly ask for clarification and request the removal of doubt, treating knowledge as something to be carefully discriminated rather than assumed.