Varaha Purana 201.38: Adhyaya 201, Shloka 38

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

Uttara Bhāga · Jvara’s Mobilization (Rākṣasa–Jvara Episode)

Devanagari script

ज्वरः क्रुद्धो महातेजा योधानां तु सहस्रशः ॥ कालो मुण्डः केकराक्षो लोहयष्टिपरिग्रहः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 201.38

Transliteration

jvaraḥ kruddho mahātejā yodhānāṃ tu sahasraśaḥ || kālo muṇḍaḥ kekarākṣo lohayaṣṭiparigrahaḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ക്രുദ്ധനും മഹാതേജസ്സുമായ ജ്വരൻ ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് യോദ്ധാക്കളെ (സമാഹരിച്ചു)—അവരിൽ കാല, മുണ്ഡ, കേകരാക്ഷ, ലോഹയഷ്ടിപരിഗ്രഹ എന്നിവരും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു।

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Word by Word

• ज्वरः: Jvara
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Root: √क्रुध् (क्रुधँ कोपे धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• Type: Adjective
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः, पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• योधानाम्: of the warriors
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम् (Plural)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Root: योध (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed, but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: but/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand(s)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्ययम् (distributive adverb: 'by thousands')
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/manner)
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)

• कालः: Kāla (Time/Death)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)

• मुण्डः: bald, shaven-headed
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Root: मुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)

• केकराक्षः: squint-eyed (Kekarākṣa)
• Type: Noun
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः (possessive: 'केकराणि अक्षिणी यस्य' = squint-eyed), पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Root: केकर + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• लोहयष्टिपरिग्रहः: holder of an iron staff
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (determinative: 'लोहयष्टेः परिग्रहः' = holder of an iron staff), पुंलिङ्गे (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Root: लोह + यष्टि + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• महातेजाः = महा-तेजाः (कर्मधारय)
• केकराक्षः (बहुव्रीहि)
• लोह-यष्टि-परिग्रहः (समास)

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Vira rasaSetting: Mythic military assembly

Speaker

Narrator

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Allegorical psychology/ethics

Subjects

Martial mobilizationNamed attendants/warriorsPersonified affliction as commander

Core idea

Personified ‘Jvara’ (fever/affliction) marshals destructive tendencies—anger and violence multiply into many ‘attendants’ (named forces).

In practice

Treat anger/affliction early; otherwise it ‘recruits’ many secondary harms (cruel speech, rash action, escalation).

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Onomastics (Name Studies)
• Mythic Warfare
• Personification

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The catalog of names is valuable for tracing recurring mythic figures and epithets across Purāṇic corpora and for understanding how narratives organize power through retinues.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is specified here.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is narrative-descriptive; it emphasizes escalation and organized response rather than explicit ethical teaching.