Varaha Purana 195.8: Adhyaya 195, Shloka 8

Description of Sinners Abiding in Yama’s Realm

Catalog of Transgressions and the Logic of Retribution

Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstra / Nīti: Pāpa-varga (property crimes and neglect of rites)

Devanagari script

गृहक्षेत्रहरा ये च सेतुबन्धविनाशकाः ॥ अपुत्राश्चाप्यदाराश्च श्रद्दया च विवर्जिताः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 195.8

Transliteration

gṛhakṣetraharā ye ca setubandhavināśakāḥ | aputrāś cāpy adārāś ca śraddhayā ca vivarjitāḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

जो लोग दूसरों के घर और खेत ले लें। जो पुल या बाँध तोड़ दें। जो लोग बिना बेटे के हैं, बिना बीवी के हैं, और जिसमें श्रद्धा नहीं है। ये सब भी बताए गए हैं।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• gṛha-kṣetra-harāḥ: stealers of houses and fields
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + षष्ठी): gṛhasya kṣetrasya ca harāḥ (stealers of house and land)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: gṛha + kṣetra + hara (प्रातिपदिक)

• ye: who (those who)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• setu-bandha-vināśakāḥ: destroyers of dams/bridges (embankments)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: setubandhasya vināśakāḥ
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: setu + bandha + vināśaka (प्रातिपदिक)

• aputrāḥ: without sons/childless
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास (negation)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: a-putra (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• api: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (also/even)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: api (अव्यय)

• adārāḥ: without wife/spouseless
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: a-dāra (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• śraddhayā: with faith
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: Hetu/Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• vivarjitāḥ: devoid of/excluded from
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगभाव (excluded/devoid of)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: vi-√vṛj (वृज् धातु) + ta (कृत्)

Sandhi Notes

• gṛhakṣetraharā→gṛha+kṣetra+harāḥ
• aputrāś cāpy→aputrāḥ+ca+api
• adārāś ca→adārāḥ+ca

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Bibhatsa rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma-ethics (stewardship)

Subjects

EthicsHeritage infrastructureEnvironmental stewardship

Core idea

Adharma includes ecological/civic harm: violating land rights and damaging water infrastructure harms the community and Bhūmi.

In practice

Respect boundaries and inheritance, protect irrigation/embankments, and cultivate śraddhā that sustains ritual and ethical life.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Ancient civic ethics
• Water-management heritage
• Moral taxonomy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The mention of setu-bandha highlights the cultural importance of public works (embankments, dams, causeways) in premodern society and their protection as an ethical concern.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific site is named; the reference is to civic infrastructure in general.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It condemns property seizure and destruction of communal water/transport infrastructure, implying a duty to protect shared resources and social stability.