Varaha Purana 155.49: Adhyaya 155, Shloka 49

The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha

Uttara Bhāga · Dharma-kathā (Appeal to Satya as Protective/Transformative Power)

Devanagari script

तेन सत्येन मां भुङ्क्ष्व ब्रह्मराक्षस दारुण ॥ वणिजस्तु वचः श्रुत्वा ततोऽसौ ब्रह्मराक्षसः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 155.49

Transliteration

tena satyena māṃ bhuṅkṣva brahmarākṣasa dāruṇa || vaṇijas tu vacaḥ śrutvā tato 'sau brahmarākṣasaḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

अगर मैं सच बोल रहा हूँ, तो मुझे खा जा, ऐ ब्रह्म-राक्षस। यह सुनके उस दुकानदार की बात, वो ब्रह्म-राक्षस बोला।

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Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (with that)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सत्येन: by (the) truth
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• माम्: me
• Type: Noun
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• भुङ्क्ष्व: eat (me)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Imperative, 2nd person singular, Ātmanepada
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: भुज् (धातु)

• ब्रह्म-राक्षस: O brahmarākṣasa
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine vocative singular; कर्मधारय (ब्रह्मराक्षसः = ब्राह्मण-राक्षसः)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)

• दारुण: O fierce one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine vocative singular (qualifying संबोधन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)

• वणिजः: the merchant
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine nominative singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• वचः: words
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’ — Absolutive/gerund: having heard
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: श्रु (धातु)

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)
• Role: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• असौ: that (one)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun; Masculine nominative singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: असद्/असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्रह्म-राक्षसः: the brahmarākṣasa
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine nominative singular; कर्मधारय
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• ततोऽसौ = ततः + असौ
• ब्रह्मराक्षस = ब्रह्म + राक्षस (कर्मधारय)

Speaker and setting

Vira and Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Sudhana (first pāda); Narrator (second pāda)

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma under duress; integrity as spiritual capital

Subjects

EthicsNarrative LiteratureSoteriology (Liberation Motifs)

Core idea

Truthfulness becomes a force that reorders the moral field—fear yields to dharma when one’s inner alignment is complete.

In practice

In ethical dilemmas, prioritize integrity over self-preservation; let speech and action be congruent.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Dharma Ethics
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The brahma-rākṣasa figure is a widely attested narrative type in Sanskrit literature, used to discuss moral transgression, restitution, and the possibility of transformation.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Truth is invoked as a binding moral force; the speaker frames personal integrity as stronger than fear or coercion.