Varaha Purana 201.16: Adhyaya 201, Shloka 16

The Battle between the Rākṣasas and Yama’s Attendant-Messengers

Devanagari script

एते वधार्थं निर्दिष्टास्त्वयैव च महात्मना ॥ न युक्तं विविधाकाराः ह्यस्माकं नाशनाय वै ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 201.16

Transliteration

ete vadhārthaṃ nirdiṣṭās tvayaiva ca mahātmanā || na yuktaṃ vividhākārā hy asmākaṃ nāśanāya vai ||

Translation

ഹേ മഹാത്മാവേ, ഇവരെ വധാർത്ഥമായി നീ തന്നെയാണ് നിർദ്ദേശിച്ചത്. ഞങ്ങളുടെ നാശത്തിനായി പലരൂപികളെയൊരുക്കുന്നത് യുക്തമല്ല.

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Word by Word

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• vadhārtham: for the purpose of killing
• vadhārtham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्थी/उद्देश्य: ‘वधाय अर्थः’ = for killing), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (accusative singular; adverbial purpose)

• nirdiṣṭāḥ: were appointed/indicated
• nirdiṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + diś (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense: “having been appointed/indicated”)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता in कर्मणि/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

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

• mahātmanā: by the great-souled (one)
• mahātmanā: Karta (कर्ता in कर्मणि/Agent-qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे विशेषणवत् (epithet in instrumental with tvayā)

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

• yuktam: proper/appropriate
• yuktam: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally: “proper/fit”), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय (predicate)

• vividhākārāḥ: of various forms
• vividhākārāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विविधाः आकाराः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ete)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: “for/indeed”)

• asmākam: of us/our
• asmākam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• nāśanāya: for destruction
• nāśanāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (usage varies), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Rākṣasas

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Poetics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates a common epic-Purāṇic motif: antagonistic figures articulate a reasoned objection, preserving rhetorical forms of petition and protest within mythic conflict scenes.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames a debate about proportionality and legitimacy in violence—questioning whether destruction is 'yukta' (proper) even within a conflict narrative.