Varaha Purana 47.9 — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 9

The Rite of Śrāvaṇa Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī (Dāmodara Worship) and the Exemplum of King Nṛga

Devanagari script

स कदाचित् तुरङ्गेण हृतो दूरं महद्वनम् । व्याघ्रसिंहगजाकीर्णं दस्युसर्पनिषेवितम् ॥ ४७.९ ॥

Transliteration

sa kadācit turaṅgeṇa hṛto dūraṃ mahadvanam | vyāghrasiṃhagajākīrṇaṃ dasyusarpaniṣevitam || 47.9 ||

Translation

Un jour, emporté au loin par son cheval, il parvint à une grande forêt, peuplée de tigres, de lions et d’éléphants, et fréquentée par des brigands et des serpents.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तुरङ्गेण: by/with a horse
• तुरङ्गेण: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• हृतः: carried away, taken
• हृतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे: ‘carried away’ (passive sense)

• दूरम्: far
• दूरम्: Deśa (देश/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb of distance)

• महत्-वनम्: a great forest
• महत्-वनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणसमास; कर्म

• व्याघ्र-सिंह-गज-आकीर्णम्: filled with tigers, lions, and elephants
• व्याघ्र-सिंह-गज-आकीर्णम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of महद्वनम्; तृतीया/षष्ठ्यर्थ-तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘filled with tigers, lions, and elephants’

• दस्यु-सर्प-निषेवितम्: frequented by robbers and snakes
• दस्यु-सर्प-निषेवितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेवित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of महद्वनम्; ‘frequented/inhabited by robbers and snakes’

Speaker

Varāha

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"narrative-ethics (dharma under threat)","core_concept":"Araṇya symbolizes the world’s unpredictability where power and wealth attract danger; vigilance and restraint become dharma’s companions.","practical_application":"Treat ‘wild’ spaces—social or ecological—as zones requiring heightened discernment (viveka), non-provocation, and preparedness without cruelty."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Geography","Heritage Sites","Ethics","Ecology"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: forest/wilderness

Cross References

Related Themes: Nṛga narrative continuation in the same adhyāya (hunters, king, ensuing moral consequence)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone rider carried far into a vast, ominous forest teeming with predators; distant silhouettes of bandits and coiled snakes hint at danger.","item_prompts":["dense sal/teak-like canopy","horse in motion","tiger and lion forms half-hidden","elephant herd in shadow","bandits with bows/spears","snakes on branches/ground","twilight atmosphere"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural palette: deep greens and ochres; stylized forest layers; animals in profile; narrative clarity with ornamental foliage.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central horseman with embossed gold accents on tack; jewel-like highlights; forest rendered as patterned backdrop; predators as iconic motifs.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined linework; soft shading; realistic animal anatomy; subdued menace; detailed vegetation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical forest with rolling dark greens; expressive animals; minimal but evocative bandit figures; cool night tones."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ominous, suspense-building","suggested_raga":"Bhairavī","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave, descriptive, slightly hushed"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Geography
• Ecological Imagery

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif: the perilous wilderness as a culturally legible space marked by wild fauna and social threats (banditry), reflecting how forests were imagined in premodern South Asian literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym is stated in this verse; it describes a generic 'mahadvanam' (great forest) rather than a named pilgrimage site or region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not state an explicit injunction; implicitly, it frames the forest as a zone requiring vigilance and prudent conduct amid natural and human dangers.