Varaha Purana 131.3: Adhyaya 131, Shloka 3

Expiation for Chewing the Tooth-stick

Dantakāṣṭha

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच ॥ सर्वकालकृतं कर्म क्लेशेन महताऽनघ ॥ कथमेकापराधेन सर्वमेव प्रणश्यति ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 131.3

Transliteration

dharaṇyuvāca || sarvakālakṛtaṃ karma kleśena mahatā ’nagha || katham ekāparādhena sarvam eva praṇaśyati ||

Translation

ധരണി പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ അനഘാ! മഹാ ക്ലേശത്തോടെ ദീർഘകാലം സമ്പാദിച്ച കർമ്മം, ഒരൊറ്റ അപരാധം കൊണ്ടെങ്ങനെ മുഴുവനായി നശിക്കുന്നു?

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Word by Word

• धरणी: Earth (goddess Earth)
• धरणी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

• सर्वकालकृतम्: done at all times / accumulated over all time
• सर्वकालकृतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-काल-कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया/प्रथमा?—अत्र कर्म-विशेषणत्वात् द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां कालानां कृतम् = done at all times)

• कर्म: deed; karma
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• क्लेशेन: with suffering; by hardship
• क्लेशेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3), एकवचन (sg.)

• महतā: great
• महतā: Karana (करण) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.)/नपुंसक?—अत्र क्लेशेन सह विशेषणत्वात् पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3), एकवचन (sg.)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन (Voc.), एकवचन (sg.)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एकापराधेन: by a single offense
• एकापराधेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-अपराध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3), एकवचन (sg.); समासः कर्मधारयः (एकः अपराधः)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• प्रणश्यति: perishes; is destroyed
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Pres.), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Pṛthivī (Dharā)

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Indic Ethics
• Śauca (Purity Codes)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic-legal style of inquiry into moral causality, aligning narrative dialogue with dharmaśāstric concerns about offense (aparādha) and the fragility of merit.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it is framed as a doctrinal question within a dialogue between Earth (Pṛthivī) and Varāha.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds accountability by asking how a single transgression can negate long-accrued merit, prompting a discussion of conduct and expiation.