Varaha Purana 116.46: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 46

An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering

Devanagari script

या तोषयति भर्तारं ततः सौख्यतरं नु किम् ॥ विद्यते विभवेनापि पुरुषो यस्तु पण्डितः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 116.46

Transliteration

yā toṣayati bhartāraṃ tataḥ saukhyataraṃ nu kim || vidyate vibhavenāpi puruṣo yas tu paṇḍitaḥ ||

Translation

ഭർത്താവിനെ സന്തോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഭാര്യയേക്കാൾ വലിയ സുഖം എന്ത്? സമൃദ്ധിയുണ്ടായാലും സത്യമായ പണ്ഡിതനായ പുരുഷൻ ദുർലഭനാണ്।

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Word by Word

• yā: she who
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• toṣayati: pleases
• toṣayati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); causative (णिच्) sense 'causes to be pleased'

• bhartāram: husband / lord
• bhartāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: therefore / from that
• tataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

• saukhyataraṃ: more happiness / more pleasant
• saukhyataraṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); comparative (तरप्)

• nu: then / indeed (in question)
• nu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) interrogative/emphatic

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun (प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vidyate: is found / exists
• vidyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); sense 'is found/exists'

• vibhavena: by wealth / by prosperity
• vibhavena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• api: even / also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) meaning 'also/even'

• puruṣaḥ: a man
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) adversative/emphatic

• paṇḍitaḥ: learned / wise
• paṇḍitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective of 'puruṣaḥ/yaḥ'

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker for this nīti sequence)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Nīti
• Social Ethics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates Purāṇic household ethics and the valorization of discernment (paṇḍitatva) as distinct from mere wealth—useful for studying social ideals in medieval Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

None; the verse concerns domestic and ethical ideals.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Contentment and harmony in household relations are praised, while true learning is implied to be rarer and more valuable than prosperity alone.