Varaha Purana 97.19: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 19

The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तु पतिते देवि नग्नः कापालिकोऽभवत्॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 97.19

Transliteration

tasmiṃstu patite devi nagnaḥ kāpāliko 'bhavat

Translation

Wahai Dewi, ketika tengkorak itu jatuh, ia menjadi pertapa telanjang pembawa tengkorak (kāpālika).

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Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation/place)
• तस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• पतिते: having fallen / fallen (in that)
• पतिते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पत् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), √पत् (पत् धातु), नपुंसकलिङ्गे (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तस्मिन् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: सम्बोधन (Address/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे (Feminine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नग्नः: naked
• नग्नः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कापालिकः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कापालिकः: a skull-bearing ascetic (Kāpālika)
• कापालिकः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम् (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Geography
• Śaiva Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic depiction of the kāpālika (skull-bearing ascetic) motif, useful for tracing how later Sanskrit literature encodes ascetic identities and ritual symbolism.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the ascetic condition that motivates subsequent pilgrimage movement.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds transformation through consequence—actions and events lead to altered social/ascetic status—without issuing a prescriptive command.