Varaha Purana 13.9: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 9

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogic Instruction (Sage-to-sage inquiry framework)

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । एतदेव महत्कृत्यं यत्सतां सङ्गमो भवेत् । यत्तु सान्देहिकं कार्यं तत्पृच्छस्व महामुने ॥ १३.९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.9

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | etad eva mahatkṛtyaṁ yat satāṁ saṅgamo bhavet | yat tu sāndehikaṁ kāryaṁ tat pṛcchasva mahāmune || 13.9 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Markandeya ne kaha, acche logon ke saath milna bahut bada kaam hai. Jo baat samajh nahi aaye, bade rishi, usko poochho.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उवाच-कर्ता)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)

• uvāca: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)

• etat: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: etad (एतद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• eva: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: eva (अव्यय)

• mahat-kṛtyam: a great duty/act
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘mahat kṛtyam’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)

• yat: which
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: yad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• satām: of the good (people)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.)/साधुजन-वाचक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (pl.)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: sat (सत्, प्रातिपदिक)

• saṅgamaḥ: meeting/association
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)

• bhavet: may be/is to be
• Type: Verb
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √bhū (भू, धातु)

• yat: whatever/which
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: yad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: but/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (contrastive particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• sāndehikam: doubtful/uncertain
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (kāryam-विशेषण)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: sāndehika (प्रातिपदिक)

• kāryam: a matter to be done / duty
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• pṛcchasva: ask (you)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √prach (प्रच्छ्, धातु)

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘mahān muniḥ’
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• महत्कृत्यं → mahat + kṛtyam
• यत्सताम् → yat + satām
• तत्पृच्छस्व → tat + pṛcchasva

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Hasya rasaSetting: Hermitage / teaching assembly

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

What she asks

How should one proceed when a matter is doubtful? (Ask the competent sage; satsanga is itself a great merit).

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemology of dharma

Subjects

EthicsPedagogy (methods of inquiry)Philosophy of discourse

Core idea

Dharma is known through the company of the good and through disciplined questioning to remove saṃdeha.

In practice

Seek guidance from learned, virtuous teachers; do not act on unresolved doubt in ritual/ethics—ask and verify.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Sanskrit Philology
• Ethical Instruction

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic pedagogy: knowledge is framed through respectful dialogue, emphasizing learned association (sat-saṅga) and inquiry as a legitimate method of resolving uncertainty.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is ethical and instructional rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse highlights two principles: the value of associating with the virtuous and the importance of asking questions to clarify doubts rather than acting on uncertainty.