Varaha Purana 6.7: Adhyaya 6, Shloka 7

The Puṇḍarīkākṣapāraka Hymn and Puṣkara Tīrtha: The Account of King Vasu’s Release from Sin

Pūrva Bhāga · Tapas and Royal Sages (Rājṛṣi Narratives)

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा स राजर्षिः काश्मीराधिपतिर्वसुः । अतितीव्रेण तपसा स्वशरीरमशोषयत् ॥ ६.७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 6.7

Transliteration

tatra gatvā sa rājarṣiḥ kāśmīrādhipatir vasuḥ | atitīvreṇa tapasā svaśarīram aśoṣayat || 6.7 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

वो राजा रिशि वसु वहाँ गया। वो कश्मीर का राजा था। उसने बहुत सख्त तपस्या की। इतनी ज़ोर से कि उसका अपना शरीर सूख गया।

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• गत्वा: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having gone’
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: गम् (धातु)

• सः: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• राजर्षिः: royal sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘राजा चासौ ऋषिः’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)

• काश्मीर-अधिपतिः: lord of Kashmir
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘काश्मीरस्य अधिपतिः’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: काश्मीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)

• वसुः: Vasu
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; proper name
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अति-तीव्रेण: with extremely intense
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग? (here agreeing with ‘तपसा’ as instrumental singular neuter/masc form), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—‘अतिशयेन तीव्र’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• तपसा: by austerity
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), एकवचन; instrumental
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्व-शरीरम्: his own body
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘स्वं शरीरम्’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)

• अशोषयत्: he dried up / emaciated
• Type: Verb
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense (णिच्) ‘caused to dry’
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: शुष् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• काश्मीराधिपतिः = काश्मीर-अधिपतिः (समास)
• स्वशरीरम् = स्व-शरीरम् (समास)

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Soteriology via tapas and self-discipline

Subjects

EthicsHeritage SitesGeography

Core idea

Intense tapas can burn impurities and reorient identity from royal power to spiritual attainment.

In practice

Undertake disciplined austerity (within dharmic limits) with a clear spiritual aim rather than for display; cultivate endurance and restraint.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Geography
• Ascetic Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic narrative motif in which a ruler (rājarṣi) legitimizes authority through ascetic discipline, reflecting the broader Sanskrit literary ideal of kingship aligned with restraint and spiritual exertion.

Which geographic location is identified?

Kāśmīra (Kashmir) is explicitly named; in historical geography it corresponds to the Kashmir Valley region in the northwestern Himalayas, frequently referenced in Sanskrit sources as a distinct polity and cultural zone.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds tapas (self-discipline/austerity) as a means of purposeful self-regulation; ethically, it emphasizes endurance and restraint as valued virtues in the portrayal of exemplary leadership.