Varaha Purana 186.45: Adhyaya 186, Shloka 45

Ritual Procedure for Installing Silver and Gold Images, and the Special Status of Śālagrāma

Devanagari script

शालग्रामो न स्पृष्टव्यो हीनवर्णैर्वसुन्धरे ॥ स्त्रीशूद्रकरसंस्पर्शो वज्रस्पर्शाधिकॊ मतः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 186.45

Transliteration

śālagrāmo na spṛṣṭavyo hīnavarṇair vasundhare || strīśūdrakarasaṁsparśo vajrasparśādhiko mataḥ

Translation

शालग्राम पत्थर को हाथ लगाना मना है। जो लोग नीचे जात के हैं उनको नहीं छेड़ना चाहिए। और जो औरत या शूद्र हाथ लगाए, यह बहुत बड़ा पाप है। बिजली गिरने से भी बड़ा।

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Word by Word

• śālagrāmaḥ: Śālagrāma (sacred stone)
• śālagrāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālagrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1st), एकवचन (sg)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• spṛṣṭavyaḥ: to be touched
• spṛṣṭavyaḥ: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: spṛś (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive; ‘to be touched’), पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1st), एकवचन (sg)

• hīna-varṇaiḥ: by lower castes
• hīna-varṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3rd), बहुवचन (pl); कर्मधारय (descriptive: ‘inferior classes’)

• vasundhare: O Earth (Vasundharā)
• vasundhare: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Voc. 8th), एकवचन (sg)

• strī-śūdra-kara-saṁsparśaḥ: touch by the hands of women and Śūdras
• strī-śūdra-kara-saṁsparśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + śūdra (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁsparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1st), एकवचन (sg); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘contact of the hands of women and Śūdras’)

• vajra-sparśa-adhikaḥ: considered worse than a thunderbolt’s touch
• vajra-sparśa-adhikaḥ: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1st), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुष (comparative sense: ‘exceeding/like the touch of a thunderbolt’)

• mataḥ: is considered
• mataḥ: Kriyā-samānādhikaraṇa (क्रिया-समानााधिकरण/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1st), एकवचन (sg)

Speaker

Varāha (addressing Pṛthivī/Vasundharā)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ritual
• Social History
• Textual Normativity

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It records a restrictive ritual norm found in some premodern sources; for archivists, it is significant as evidence of historical boundary-making in ritual practice.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is identified.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Within the text’s ritual framework, it prescribes strict handling boundaries for a sacred object.