Varaha Purana 197.6: Adhyaya 197, Shloka 6

The Division of the Gates of Yama’s City and the Description of the Tribunal Hall

Uttara Bhāga · Southern Gate (Dakṣiṇa-gopura) and Fearsome Aspect

Devanagari script

आयसಂ गोपुरं तत्र दक्षिणं भीमदर्शनम् ॥ रौद्रं प्रतिभयाकारं सुतप्तं दुर्निरीक्षणम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 197.6

Transliteration

āyasaṃ gopuraṃ tatra dakṣiṇaṃ bhīma-darśanam || raudraṃ pratibhayākāraṃ sutaptaṃ durnirīkṣaṇam ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

दक्षिण की तरफ का दरवाज़ा लोहे का था। देखने में बहुत डरावना था। आग की तरह बड़ा, डर दिखाता, बहुत गरम और देखने में मुश्किल।

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Word by Word

• आयसम्: made of iron
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective to गोपुरम्
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: आयस (प्रातिपदिक)

• गोपुरम्: gateway / gate-tower
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: गोपुर (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• दक्षिणम्: southern / on the south
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective to गोपुरम्
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)

• भीमदर्शनम्: terrifying to behold
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having terrifying appearance’
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: भीम + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)

• रौद्रम्: fierce / dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective to गोपुरम् (continued description)
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रतिभयाकारम्: of fearsome form
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having a form that causes fear’
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: प्रति + भय + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)

• सुतप्तम्: well-heated / intensely hot
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP of √तप्) with उपसर्ग ‘सु’
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: सु + तप्त (कृदन्त)

• दुर्निरीक्षणम्: hard to gaze upon
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘hard to look at’
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Root: दुर् + निरीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• समासाः: भीम-दर्शनम् (कर्मधारय), प्रति-भय-आकारम् (तत्पुरुष), दुर्-निरीक्षणम् (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker and setting

Bhayanaka and Raudra rasaSetting: Gateway-tower (gopura) / threshold

Speaker

Ṛṣiputra

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Karmaphala / moral psychology

Subjects

CosmologyHeritage SitesEthics

Core idea

Adharma externalizes as a terrifying environment; fear and heat symbolize the ripening of harmful actions.

In practice

Use the image of the burning southern gate as a restraint (saṃyama): avoid cruelty, violence, and impurity of conduct.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Gate Symbolism
• Punitive Imagery

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It demonstrates the Purāṇic use of directional gateways with distinct materials and affects (iron, heat, fear), contributing to research on symbolic architecture and moralized space.

Which geographic location is identified?

Only a directional marker (dakṣiṇa, 'southern') is given; no named terrestrial location occurs here.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The imagery reinforces a warning-structure: certain passages are associated with fear and suffering, implying ethical consequences tied to one’s conduct.