Varaha Purana 32.33: Adhyaya 32, Shloka 33

Dharma as the Bull-Form: Soma’s Transgression and the Institution of the Thirteenth Lunar Day Observance

Devanagari script

सोऽपायाद् भीषितस्तेन बलिना क्रूरकर्मणा । अरण्यं गहनं घोरमाविवेश तदा प्रभुः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 32.33

Transliteration

so'payād bhīṣitas tena balinā krūrakarmaṇā | araṇyaṃ gahanaṃ ghoram āviveśa tadā prabhuḥ ||

Translation

ആ ശക്തനായ ക്രൂരകർമ്മിയാൽ ഭീതനായി അവൻ ഓടിപ്പോയി; അപ്പോൾ പ്രഭു ഘനവും ഭയാനകവുമായ വനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു.

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Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun

• apāyāt: went away / fled
• apāyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-yā (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• bhīṣitaḥ: frightened
• bhīṣitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīṣ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective to 'saḥ'

• tena: by him / because of that
• tena: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun

• balinā: by the strong (one)
• balinā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying the agent referred by 'tena'

• krūra-karmaṇā: by the cruel-doer / of cruel deeds
• krūra-karmaṇā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: 'krūram karma yasya/krūram karma' used adjectivally for the agent

• araṇyam: forest
• araṇyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gahanam: dense
• gahanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying 'araṇyam'

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीyaa), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying 'araṇyam'

• āviveśa: entered
• āviveśa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-viś (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb of time (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• prabhuḥ: the lord/master
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to 'saḥ'

Speaker

Narrator (speaker not explicit); default Varāha–Pṛthivī frame not directly visible

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ancient Landscape Imagery
• Cultural Ecology (forest as space)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates the Purāṇic use of the forest (araṇya) as a narrative and cultural space—dangerous, liminal, and often transformative in Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific forest is named; it is a generic wilderness description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It implicitly critiques cruel power (krūrakarman) and presents flight/refuge as a pragmatic response to imminent harm.