Varaha Purana 71.39: Adhyaya 71, Shloka 39

Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account

Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstra and Vedic Orthopraxy (vrata, śāpa, and ritual boundaries)

Devanagari script

ऋषीणां मायया सर्वमिदं जातं विचिन्त्य वै । शशाप तान् जटाभस्ममिथ्याव्रतधरास्तथा । भविष्यथ त्रयीबाह्या वेदकर्मबहिष्कृताः ॥ ७१.३९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 71.39

Transliteration

ṛṣīṇāṃ māyayā sarvam idaṃ jātaṃ vicintya vai | śaśāpa tān jaṭābhasma-mithyā-vrata-dharās tathā | bhaviṣyatha trayī-bāhyā veda-karma-bahiṣkṛtāḥ || 71.39 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

गौतम ने सोचा कि यह सब रिशियों की माया से हुआ है। उन्होंने उन्हे श्राप दिया। तुम लोग जटों में धक्के हो, भस्म लगा के फेक बन के चल रहे हो, गलत व्रत रख रहे हो। अब तुम वेदों के बाहर हो जाओगे। वेद के कर्म से भी बाहर निकल जाओगे।

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Word by Word

• ṛṣīṇām: of the sages
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (Plural)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)

• māyayā: by illusion
• Type: Noun
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarvam: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular); viśeṣaṇa of idam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)

• idam: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• jātam: arisen / become
• Type: Verb
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle/भूतकर्मणि), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Accusative, Ekavacana; predicative with idam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: √jan (जन्) + kta (क्त)

• vicintya: having reflected
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त), indeclinable; prior action to śaśāpa
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: √cint (चिन्त्) + lyap (ल्यप्)

• vai: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle/emphasis (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: vai (अव्यय)

• śaśāpa: cursed
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √śap (शप्)

• tān: them
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (Plural)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• jaṭā-bhasma-mithyā-vrata-dharāḥ: (those) bearing matted hair and ashes, holding false vows
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural); bahuvrīhi qualifying tān (accusative sense by apposition)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + mithyā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)

• tathā: thus / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)

• bhaviṣyatha: you will become
• Type: Verb
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Periphrastic future/लुट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd), Bahuvacana (Plural), Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √bhū (भू)

• trayī-bāhyāḥ: outside the three Vedas
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural); viśeṣaṇa of implied 'yūyam'
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: trayī (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)

• veda-karma-bahiṣkṛtāḥ: excluded from Vedic rites
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural); viśeṣaṇa of implied 'yūyam'
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bahiṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक; from √kṛ with bahis-)

Sandhi Notes

• sarvam idaṃ → sarvam idam
• jaṭābhasma-mithyā-vrata-dharāḥ treated as a multi-member bahuvrīhi compound
• trayī-bāhyāḥ and veda-karma-bahiṣkṛtāḥ are tatpuruṣa compounds

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Bibhatsa rasaSetting: Ethical-ritual adjudication scene

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Path

Dharma Authority And Integrity

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeAuthority and Exclusion in Vedic Tradition

Core idea

Religious authority depends on truthfulness and right intention; hypocrisy (‘mithyā-vrata’) severs one from the sustaining tradition (‘trayī’).

In practice

Prioritize inner integrity over external display; avoid manipulative ‘spiritual’ performances; align vows with capacity and truth.

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Dharma and Ritual Discourse
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic discourse on ritual legitimacy, contrasting recognized Vedic practice (trayī and veda-karma) with groups portrayed as adopting external markers (jaṭā, bhasma) while being framed as outside Vedic orthopraxy.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic toponym appears in this verse; it is primarily concerned with ritual status and social-religious categorization.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes integrity in vowed conduct and ritual practice, warning against “false vows” (mithyā-vrata) and presenting exclusion from Vedic rites as a consequence within the text’s normative framework.