Varaha Purana 180.38: Adhyaya 180, Shloka 38

The Glory of Dhruva-Tīrtha: Rules of Ancestor Libations and Śrāddha, and the Consequences of Lineage-Continuity

Uttara Bhāga · Śrāddha–Pitṛ-tarpaṇa Vidhi (Ancestral rites and offerings)

Devanagari script

विधिरत्र कथं तस्या येन यूयं स पुत्रिणः ॥ प्रोवाच स त्रिकालज्ञं ज्ञानक्लिष्टं कृपान्वितम्

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 180.38

Transliteration

vidhir atra kathaṁ tasyā yena yūyaṁ sa putriṇaḥ || provāca sa trikālajñaṁ jñānakliṣṭaṁ kṛpānvitam

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

अब यहाँ उसके लिए क्या सही तरीका है जिससे तुम लोगों को बच्चे मिल सकें? उसने उस तीन काम जानने वाले आदमी को कहा। वो अपने ज्ञान से थका हुआ था, पर उसके दिल में दया थी।

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Word by Word

• विधिः: rule / procedure
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)

• अत्र: here / in this case
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: here/in this matter)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण
• Role: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)

• तस्याः: of her
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग-रूप (Genitive singular)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• येन: by which / whereby
• Type: Noun
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-रूप (Instrumental singular: by which/whereby)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• यूयम्: you (plural)
• Type: Noun
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

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

• पुत्रिणः: having sons
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (possessing sons)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: पुत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रोवाच: said / spoke forth
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)

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

• त्रि-काल-ज्ञम्: the knower of the three times
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (knower of three times)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (ज्ञा धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययवत् प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्ञान-क्लिष्टम्: afflicted/strained by knowledge
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानेन क्लिष्टः = afflicted/strained by knowledge)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लिष्ट (क्लिश् धातु, क्त; प्रातिपदिक)

• कृपा-अन्वितम्: endowed with compassion
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृपया अन्वितः = endowed with compassion)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (अन्वि/अनु+इ धातु, क्त; प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• कृपान्वितम् → कृपा + अन्वितम्
• other words largely unsandhied in the given pāṭha

Speaker and setting

Karuna and Shanta rasaSetting: Instructional dialogue

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

What she asks

What is the correct procedure (vidhi) for her, by which you may obtain offspring/lineal continuation?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethical instruction

Subjects

Ritual PracticeEthicsLineage

Core idea

True knowledge includes compassion; dharma-teaching must address lived suffering (knowledge-weariness relieved by kṛpā).

In practice

When advising on ritual and family duties, combine śāstric precision with empathy for constrained agents.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancestral Rites
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It links ritual procedure (vidhi) with lineage continuity, a major concern in Dharma and Purāṇic narrative contexts.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographical marker is present in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It implies that ritual questions should be resolved through articulated procedure (vidhi) and compassionate guidance rather than mere assumption.