Varaha Purana 130.11: Adhyaya 130, Shloka 11

Expiation and Dietary Discipline Concerning the Consumption of Royal Food

rājānna

Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstric Ethics (Inquiry into royal fault)

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच ॥ शृणु तत्त्वेन मे देव हृदये हि व्यवस्थितम् ॥ को नु दोषोऽस्ति राज्ञां हि तन्मे त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 130.11

Transliteration

dharaṇy uvāca | śṛṇu tattvena me deva hṛdaye hi vyavasthitam | ko nu doṣo 'sti rājñāṃ hi tan me tvaṃ vaktum arhasi ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

धरती ने कहा, देव, मेरी बात सच-सच सुनो जो मेरा दिल मानता है। राजा लोगों में क्या दोष है? आप मुझे बताइए।

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Word by Word

• dharaṇī: Dharaṇī (Earth)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: dharaṇī (धरणी) (प्रातिपदिक)

• uvāca: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)

• śṛṇu: listen
• Type: Verb
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √śru (श्रु) (धातु)

• tattvena: truly / with the truth
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd—तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); adverbial-instrumental = 'in truth/truly'
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Hetu (क्रियाविशेषण/हेतु)
• Root: tattva (तत्त्व) (प्रातिपदिक)

• me: my
• Type: Noun
• Form: Genitive (6th—षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• deva: O god/lord
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th—सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: deva (देव) (प्रातिपदिक)

• hṛdaye: in (my) heart
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th—सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: hṛdaya (हृदय) (प्रातिपदिक)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (निपात) emphasis
• Role: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Root: hi (अव्यय)

• vyavasthitam: is established/settled
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd—प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); predicate: 'is established/settled'
• Role: Kriyā-pūrak (क्रियापूरक)
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (वि-अव-स्था) → vyavasthita (व्यवस्थित) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• kaḥ: what?/which?
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); interrogative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: kim (किम्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• nu: indeed/now (in questions)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Interrogative particle (प्रश्नार्थ-निपात)
• Role: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Root: nu (अव्यय)

• doṣaḥ: fault
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: doṣa (दोष) (प्रातिपदिक)

• asti: is/exists
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √as (अस्) (धातु)

• rājñām: of kings
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th—षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: rājan (राजन्) (प्रातिपदिक)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (निपात) emphasis
• Role: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Root: hi (अव्यय)

• tat: that (matter)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd—द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); refers to the fault/topic
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• me: to me
• Type: Noun
• Form: Dative (4th—चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• tvam: you
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• vaktum: to tell
• Type: Verb
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), 'to speak/tell'
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)

• arhasi: are able/ought
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present (लट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √arh (अर्ह्) (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• dharaṇy uvāca = dharaṇī + uvāca (ī+u → y u)
• doṣo 'sti = doṣaḥ + asti (visarga sandhi: aḥ + a → o ')

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Karuna rasa

Speaker

Pṛthivī / Dharaṇī (Earth)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

Her state of mind

Curious, concerned, seeking clarity (dharma-jijñāsā)

What she asks

What is the fault (doṣa) of kings/royal agency that makes rājānna blameworthy?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma-jijñāsā (epistemic humility)

Subjects

EthicsPolitical MoralityDharma

Core idea

Ethics requires discerning causes (doṣa) rather than merely fearing outcomes; inquiry is itself a dharmic act.

In practice

Before accepting patronage/power-linked benefits, examine the moral quality of the source and the systemic harms involved.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Bhū-devī directly petitions the Lord to clarify the ethical fault connected with kings/royalty

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Political Ethics
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Dharma Inquiry

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It echoes classical debates on rājadharma (ethics of rulership) by asking whether political authority inherently entails moral fault.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified; the verse is a conceptual question about governance.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Moral critique should be precise: identify the specific ‘fault’ rather than condemning broadly.