Varaha Purana 201.2: Adhyaya 201, Shloka 2
The Battle between the Rākṣasas and Yama’s Attendant-Messengers
Uttara Bhāga · Rākṣasa-kiṅkara-yuddha (Conflict narrative) — emissaries’ petition
दूता ऊचुः ॥ वयं श्रान्ताश्च क्षीणाश्च ह्यन्यान् योजितुमर्हसि ॥ वयमन्यत्करिष्यामः स्वामिन्कार्यं सुदुष्करम् ॥
dūtā ūcuḥ || vayaṃ śrāntāś ca kṣīṇāś ca hy anyān yojitum arhasi || vayam anyat kariṣyāmaḥ svāmin kāryaṃ su-duṣkaram ||
dUtA UchuH || vayaM shrAntAshcha kShINAshcha hyanyAn yojitumarhasi || vayamanyatkariShyAmaH svAminkAryaM suduShkaram
ದೂತರು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ನಾವು ಶ್ರಾಂತರೂ ಕ್ಷೀಣರೂ ಆಗಿದ್ದೇವೆ; ನೀವು ಇತರರನ್ನು ನಿಯೋಜಿಸಬೇಕು। ಸ್ವಾಮೀ, ಈ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಷ್ಕರ; ನಾವು ಬೇರೆ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇವೆ।
Sandhi Notes
- śrāntāś ca = śrāntāḥ + ca
- kṣīṇāś ca = kṣīṇāḥ + ca
- hy anyān = hi + anyān
- yojitum arhasi no sandhi
- vayam anyat kept separate
Dūtāḥ
How should duty be reassigned when servants are exhausted and the task is too difficult?
Dharma includes truthful reporting of one’s capacity; endurance is virtuous, but self-destruction and deception are not.
When overwhelmed, communicate constraints respectfully, propose alternatives, and preserve integrity while remaining service-oriented.
A leader should recognize fatigue in agents and reassign tasks rather than forcing collapse; delegation is part of righteous governance.
Wise reassignment preserves loyalty and success; coercive overburdening breeds failure, resentment, and adharma in administration.
Immediate continuation: the plea triggers the superior’s anger (201.4).
FAQs
It preserves a common narrative motif of emissaries reporting fatigue and requesting reassignment, offering insight into ideals of duty, capacity, and delegation in classical story-worlds.
No geographic location is stated in this verse.
It highlights pragmatic ethics: recognizing limits, requesting reassignment, and framing difficult duty as a matter of responsible management.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
