Varaha Purana 137.83: Adhyaya 137, Shloka 83

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Uttara Bhāga · Pr̥thivī-Varāha Saṃvāda (Theophany and human limitation)

Devanagari script

मां स द्रष्टुं न शक्नोति मम तेजःप्रमोहितः॥ ततो निमीलिताक्षेण कृत्वा शिरसि चाञ्जलिम्॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 137.83

Transliteration

māṃ sa draṣṭuṃ na śaknoti mama tejaḥ-pramohitaḥ || tato nimīlitākṣeṇa kṛtvā śirasi cāñjalim ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

എന്റെ തേജസ്സാൽ മോഹിതനായ അവന് എന്നെ നോക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല; അതുകൊണ്ട് കണ്ണുകൾ അടച്ച് തലയിൽ അഞ്ജലി വെച്ച് ഭക്തിയോടെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു।

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Word by Word

• mām: me
• Type: Noun
• Form: एकवचन, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); ‘me’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘he’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• draṣṭum: to see
• Type: Verb
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), ‘to see’
• Role: Prayojana/Anukūla (प्रयोजन/अनुकूल—infinitival complement)
• Root: dṛś (धातु)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• śaknoti: is able
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: śak (धातु)

• mama: my
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of me/my’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• tejaḥ-pramohitaḥ: bewildered by (my) radiance
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ—‘(my) splendor having deluded (him)’ = dazzled by my radiance
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक) + pra-mohita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √muh)

• tataḥ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb: then/from that)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)

• nimīlita-akṣeṇa: with (his) eyes closed
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-आश्रय, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘with eyes closed’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: nimīlita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √mīl) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)

• kṛtvā: having made
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having done/made’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: kṛ (धातु)

• śirasi: on (his) head
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘on the head’
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction: and)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• añjalim: a reverential gesture (folded hands)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘añjali’ (folded hands)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: añjali (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• तेजःप्रमोहितः = tejaḥ-pramohitaḥ
• चाञ्जलिम् = ca añjalim
• निमीलिताक्षेण = nimīlita-akṣeṇa (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker and setting

Vira and Bhakti rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Path

Bhakti Dharma Synthesis

Subjects

EthicsTheophanyDevotional Gesture

Core idea

True praise of the Lord coexists with readiness to protect dharma; devotion can be vigorous and organized, not only contemplative.

In practice

In community worship, combine stotra/kīrtana with disciplined service and protection of ethical order (non-violent vigilance, responsibility).

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a standard Sanskrit narrative trope: overwhelming divine tejas (radiance) limits direct perception, prompting embodied gestures of respect (añjali), a motif also found across epics and Purāṇas.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this segment.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Recognition of one’s limits before overwhelming power, expressed through restraint and respectful conduct.