Varaha Purana 41.22: Adhyaya 41, Shloka 22

Rite of the Varāha Dvādaśī Vow and an Exemplary Narrative on Expiation for Brahmin-Slaying

Devanagari script

ततस्ते दुःखिताः सर्वे ययुः पितरमन्तिकम् । ऊचुश्च वचनं छेदं मृगहिंसामृते मुने ॥ ४१.२२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 41.22

Transliteration

tataste duḥkhitāḥ sarve yayuḥ pitaram antikam | ūcuś ca vacanaṃ chedaṃ mṛgahiṃsāmṛte mune || 41.22 ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവർ എല്ലാവരും ദുഃഖിതരായി പിതാവിന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ചെന്നു; മുനിയോട് ‘മുറിക്കൽയും മൃഗഹിംസയും ഞങ്ങൾ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നു’ എന്നു വചനം പറഞ്ഞു.

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: then / thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• duḥkhitāḥ: distressed
• duḥkhitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yayuḥ: went
• yayuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• antikam: near / vicinity
• antikam: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially with motion

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• vacanam: speech / words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• chedam: confession / statement (lit. cutting/decision)
• chedam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• mṛga-hiṃsā-mṛte: O one who is (as if) dead to animal-violence / abstainer from harming animals
• mṛga-hiṃsā-mṛte: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √mṛ)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन); addressing the sage as ‘one dead to (i.e., abstaining from) violence to animals’

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ecological Ethics
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a recurring Purāṇic concern with regulated conduct—especially restraint from harm—presented through a narrative appeal to authority figures (father/sage) within the text’s didactic framework.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse fragment.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds restraint: refraining from cutting (cheda) and from violence toward animals (mṛga-hiṃsā), presented as a corrective response by distressed speakers.