Varaha Purana 98.7: Adhyaya 98, Shloka 7

Chapter on the Sacred Hill Episode: Satyatapā and the Marvel of Varāha

Devanagari script

तत्र सत्यतपाः स्थित्वा तपः कुर्वन्महातपाः ॥ स कदाचित्कुठारेण चकर्त्त समिधः किल ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 98.7

Transliteration

tatra satyatapāḥ sthitvā tapaḥ kurvan mahātapāḥ || sa kadācit kuṭhāreṇa cakartta samidhaḥ kila ||

Translation

सत्यतप नाम का रिशि वहाँ रहता था और बड़ा तपस्या करता था। एक बार उसने कुल्हाड़ी से लकड़ी काट रहा था।

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सत्यतपाः: Satyatapas (a sage named so)
• सत्यतपाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थ-तत्पुरुषः (सत्यं तपः यस्य / सत्यं तपः) — नामरूपेण मुनिः

• स्थित्वा: having stayed
• स्थित्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having stood/stayed’

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: कर्ता (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘doing’

• महातपाः: great ascetic
• महातपाः: कर्ता (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महत्तपाः) — विशेषण/उपाधि (सत्यतपाः)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कुठारेण: with an axe
• कुठारेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुठार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चकर्त्त: cut, chopped
• चकर्त्त: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत्/कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; √कृ ‘to do/cut’ (अत्र ‘to cut’ अर्थे)

• समिधः: fuel-sticks
• समिधः: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; ‘समिध्’ (fuel-stick)

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: वाक्यनिपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; reportative/emphatic)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ecological Ethics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It situates ascetic life within a concrete environmental setting (fuel gathering), illustrating how Purāṇic asceticism is narrated through everyday material practices.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse refers back to the previously described riverbank site (Puṣyabhadrā; Citraśilā; Bhadra banyan) without adding a new place-name.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It emphasizes disciplined practice (tapas) while acknowledging interaction with natural resources, inviting reflection on restrained and purposeful use.