Varaha Purana 177.14: Adhyaya 177, Shloka 14

The Curse of Sāmba and the Prescribed Observance of Sun-Worship

Uttara Bhāga · Sāmba’s Posture; Kṛṣṇa’s Reaction upon Seeing Nārada

Devanagari script

साम्बस्तत्रैव संतस्थौ वेपमानः कृताञ्जलिः ॥ स कृष्णो नारदं वीक्ष्य लज्जयावाङ्मुखोऽभवत्

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 177.14

Transliteration

sāmbas tatraiva saṃtasthau vepamānaḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ || sa kṛṣṇo nāradaṃ vīkṣya lajjayāvāṅmukho 'bhavat

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

साम्ब वही खड़ा रहा, हाथ जोड़ के, थोड़ा काँप रहा था। कृष्ण ने नारद को देखा तो शरम से चेहरा नीचे कर लिया।

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Word by Word

• साम्बः: Sāmba
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय, निपात
• Role: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• संतस्थौ: stood/remained
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)

• वेपमानः: trembling
• Type: Verb
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘साम्बः’)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: वेप् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)

• कृताञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘कृतः अञ्जलिः येन’ = with folded hands)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: कृत + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

• नारदम्: Nārada
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having looked/seen’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: वीक्ष्/विक्ष् (धातु)

• लज्जया: with shame
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)

• अवाङ्मुखः: downcast
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (‘अवाङ् मुखं यस्य’ = whose face is turned downward)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: अवाङ् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: भू (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• तत्रैव = तत्र + एव
• अवाङ्मुखोऽभवत् = अवाङ्मुखः + अभवत् (visarga sandhi)

Speaker and setting

Hasya and Karuna rasaSetting: Assembly/encounter space

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Moral psychology

Subjects

Narrative literatureEmotion (lajjā)Social dynamics

Core idea

Embarrassment (lajjā) arises when one’s conduct is exposed before a truth-speaking sage; reverence (añjali) and trembling mark accountability.

In practice

Cultivate self-audit: behave as if observed by the wise; when fault is revealed, respond with humility rather than defiance.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇava Lore
• Affective Vocabulary (lajjā)
• Character Interaction

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

Nārada often functions as a catalytic figure in Purāṇic narratives; the verse also preserves affective terminology (lajjā) valuable for philological study of emotion in Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is specified.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It underscores accountability and self-awareness in social situations, conveyed through the motif of embarrassment before a respected observer.