Varaha Purana 116.32: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 32

An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering

Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-ācāra (Non-violence and restraint)

Devanagari script

अहिंसोपारतः शुद्धः स सुखायोपजायते ॥ परभार्यां सुरूपां तु दृष्ट्वा दृष्टिर्न चालयते ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 116.32

Transliteration

ahiṃsopārataḥ śuddhaḥ sa sukhāyopajāyate || parabhāryāṃ surūpāṃ tu dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭir na cālyate ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ລະເວັ້ນຄວາມຮຸນແຮງ ແລະບໍລິສຸດ ຜູ້ນັ້ນເກີດເປັນເຫດແຫ່ງຄວາມສຸກ. ເຫັນພັນລະຍາຂອງຄົນອື່ນແມ່ນງາມ ສາຍຕາຂອງເຂົາກໍບໍ່ຫວັ່ນໄຫວ

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Word by Word

• ahiṃsā-uparataḥ: refraining from violence
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: अहिंसायाम् उपरतः (one who has desisted from violence)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: ahiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक) + uparata (कृदन्त; उप+रम् धातु, क्त)

• śuddhaḥ: pure
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: śuddha (कृदन्त; śudh धातु, क्त)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• sukhāya: for happiness
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)

• upajāyate: arises / is born (as)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: upa+jan (धातु)

• para-bhāryām: another man’s wife
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: परस्य भāryā (another’s wife)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)

• surūpām: beautiful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ: सु-रूपा (beautiful)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: but / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निपात
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Root: dṛś (धातु)

• dṛṣṭiḥ: gaze / sight
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात
• Role: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• cālyate: is moved / wavers
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: is moved)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: cal (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• ahiṃsopārataḥ resolved as ahiṃsā-uparataḥ (ā + u → o)
• sukhāyopajāyate resolved as sukhāya upajāyate (ā + u → o)
• dṛṣṭir na = dṛṣṭiḥ na (visarga sandhi)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bibhatsa rasa

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious; concerned about dharma in social life

What she asks

How do purity and non-violence translate into concrete restraint when confronted by temptation?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint)

Subjects

EthicsSelf-ControlHouseholder Conduct

Core idea

Purity is evidenced by mastery over the senses—especially sight, which triggers desire and harm.

In practice

Guard the gaze; avoid situations that inflame desire; cultivate respectful perception of others as protected by dharma.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Moral instruction to Bhū-devī on ahiṃsā and control of gaze/desire.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ethics
• Gṛhastha Dharma

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It expresses a Purāṇic model of virtue combining ahiṃsā with sensory restraint, illustrating how moral ideals were articulated for householders.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is identified.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To desist from harm, cultivate purity, and practice restraint—specifically, not allowing desire to destabilize one’s conduct.