Varaha Purana 197.32 — Adhyaya 197, Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

महासत्त्वो महातेजाः जरामरणवर्जितः ॥ मृत्युर्दृष्टा दुराधर्षो दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनः

Transliteration

mahāsattvo mahātejāḥ jarāmaraṇavarjitaḥ || mṛtyur dṛṣṭā durādharṣo divyagandhānulepanaḥ

Translation

Je vis la Mort : d’une grande essence et d’un grand éclat, exempte de vieillesse et de mourir ; inattaquable, ointe de parfums divins.

Word by Word

• महासत्त्वः: of great might
• महासत्त्वः: विशेषण (Adjectival to implied subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय ('great in strength/being'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महातेजाः: of great radiance
• महातेजाः: विशेषण (Adjectival to implied subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय ('great splendor'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (तेजस्-शब्द, प्रथमा एकवचन: तेजाः)

• जरामरणवर्जितः: free from old age and death
• जरामरणवर्जितः: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त; √वृज्/वर्ज् 'to avoid')
• Form: जरा+मरण इति द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद, ततः तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धेन वर्जितः ('devoid of old age and death'); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मृत्युः: Death (personified)
• मृत्युः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्टः: seen/appeared
• दृष्टः: विशेषण (Adjectival to मृत्युः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुराधर्षः: hard to resist
• दुराधर्षः: विशेषण (to मृत्युः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (पूर्वपद) + आधर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/नञ्-सदृश (semantic: 'hard to assail/overcome'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनः: with divine fragrant unguent
• दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनः: विशेषण (to मृत्युः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'having anointment of divine fragrance'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Death (Mṛtyu) is depicted as divinely empowered and unassailable, implying that dharma—not force—governs one’s passage beyond life.","karmic_consequence":"Right conduct prepares one to meet Death without terror; adharma yields helplessness before the unassailable ordinance of Time."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Mṛtyu as kāla-śakti: the irresistible regulatory power within prakṛti; ‘divine fragrance’ suggests ritual purity/inevitability of cosmic order rather than mere decay.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Death anointed with divine scents parallels yajña’s consecrated unguents—time’s ‘officiant’ who completes the life-sacrifice.","vedantic_connection":"Kāla as upādhi-bound power under Īśvara; the deathless ‘Death’ points to the distinction between changing bodies and the unchanging regulator (kāla-niyati)."}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"metaphysical-ethical","core_concept":"Death is not ‘mortal’; it is a cosmic principle—radiant, ordained, and beyond worldly assault.","practical_application":"Contemplate mṛtyu-smaraṇa to prioritize dharma, reduce attachment, and cultivate readiness through disciplined living."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: otherworldly encounter

Cross References

Related Themes: Varaha Purana ch.197 (vision/description of Death and attendants)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A radiant, majestic personified Death—ageless, unassailable—standing or seated, body gleaming, skin and garments subtly perfumed, surrounded by a solemn aura.","item_prompts":["luminous figure of Mṛtyu","halo/tejas radiance","perfume/anointing vessels","garlands or scented paste marks","unapproachable stance","dim court background"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, glowing tejas with warm highlights, dignified Mṛtyu with stylized ornaments, sacred unguent marks, solemn attendants in background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, brilliant central icon-like Mṛtyu with gold halo, embossed ornaments, visible perfume vessels, rich textile detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, elegant shading to show radiance, calm yet formidable face, delicate depiction of anointing and fragrance motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style, lyrical glow around Mṛtyu, minimal court architecture, emphasis on serene inevitability and narrative clarity."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"austere awe","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"measured","voice_tone":"steady, resonant, contemplative"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Personification
• Afterlife Imagery

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic depiction of Death as a cosmic function rather than merely an event, emphasizing metaphysical hierarchy through exalted imagery.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is named; the verse is a visionary description within an otherworldly setting.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

By portraying Death as unassailable and beyond aging, the verse underscores human limitation and encourages ethical seriousness in the face of impermanence.