Varaha Purana 38.23: Adhyaya 38, Shloka 23
The Hunter’s Austerity and the Gaining of Durvāsas’ Favor
व्याध उवाच । व्याधोऽस्मि पापकर्मास्मि ब्रह्महास्मि सरिद्वरे । तथापि संस्मृता देवि पाहि मां शरणं गतम् ॥ ३८.२३ ॥
vyādha uvāca | vyādho 'smi pāpa-karmā 'smi brahmahā 'smi saridvare | tathāpi saṃsmṛtā devi pāhi māṃ śaraṇaṃ gatam || 38.23 ||
शिकारी ने नदी से कहा, देवी, मैं शिकारी हूँ। मैंने बहुत बुरी हरकतें की हैं। मैं बहुत बड़ा पापी हूँ। फिर भी मुझे बचा लो। मैं आपकी शरण में आया हूँ।
Vyādha (the hunter)
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif in which a socially marginal figure confesses grave transgressions and seeks protection, reflecting medieval Indic discourse on sin, confession-like self-disclosure, and the accessibility of refuge/atonement themes in public sacred settings.
The verse does not name a specific river; it uses the generic expression saridvare (“at an excellent river-ford”), a formula that often signals a tīrtha-like setting but is not sufficient for secure modern identification without surrounding verses.
The verse foregrounds accountability (explicit admission of wrongdoing) and the ethical-philosophical theme of śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge), implying that even those who acknowledge serious harm may appeal for protection/recourse within a moral-ritual framework.
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