Varaha Purana 68.11: Adhyaya 68, Shloka 11
Dharma Across the Four Yugas, the Disruption of Social Conduct, and Ritual Purification from Varṇa-Mixing Transgressions
Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstra Discourse (Social Conduct and Purificatory Ethics)
भद्राश्व उवाच । अगम्यागमनं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियोऽपि वा । शूद्रोऽपि शुद्ध्यते केन किं वा अगम्यं तु शंस मे ॥ ६८.११ ॥
bhadrāśva uvāca | agamyāgamanaṃ kṛtvā brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo ’pi vā | śūdro ’pi śuddhyate kena kiṃ vā agamyam tu śaṃsa me || 68.11 ||
bhadrAshva uvAcha | agamyAgamanaM kRRitvA brAhmaNaH kShatriyo.api vA | shUdro.api shuddhyate kena kiM vA.agamyaM tu shaMsa me || 68.11 ||
भद्राश्व ने पूछा, अगर कोई गलत औरत के पास जाए, तो वो कैसे साफ हो? ब्राह्मण हो, क्षत्रिय हो, या शूद्र हो, सब के लिए बताओ। और यह गलत कौन है? मुझे समझाओ।
Sandhi Notes
- kṣatriyo ’pi = kṣatriyaḥ + api
- śūdro ’pi = śūdraḥ + api
- agamyāgamanaṃ = agamya + āgamanaṃ (vowel sandhi)
Bhadrāśva
What constitutes ‘agamyā’ (a forbidden sexual partner), and by what prāyaścitta can a person of any varṇa be purified after agamyāgamana?
Transgression is not only an act but also a category requiring precise definition; purification is sought through śāstric means rather than denial.
Before undertaking expiation, first ascertain the exact prohibited relation and the agent’s social/ritual status as assumed by the text’s framework.
The verse frames a dharma-śāstra inquiry: define ‘agamyā’ and prescribe purification (prāyaścitta) for the transgression across varṇas.
Without proper expiation, the act remains pāpa-producing and obstructs purity/eligibility for dharmic rites; with expiation, śuddhi is sought.
68.68.12-15 (definition of ‘agamyā’ and categories of forbidden women)
FAQs
It preserves a dharma-oriented inquiry framed as dialogue, reflecting how Purāṇic texts incorporate social-ethical categories (such as varṇa) and discuss transgression and purification in a didactic format.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is ethical and procedural (definitions of forbidden conduct and means of purification).
The verse raises a normative question: how a serious transgression (agamyāgamana) is defined and what avenues of purification are considered applicable across social categories, setting up subsequent guidance rather than issuing a command here.
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