Varaha Purana 8.32: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 32

Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices

Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna

Devanagari script

एवं यदि विभागः स्याद् वरान्नं तद् विशुध्यति । अन्यथा व्रीहयोऽप्येते एकैकॆ मृगपक्षिणः । मन्तव्या दातृभोक्तॄणां महामांसं तु तत् स्मृतम् ॥ ८.३२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 8.32

Transliteration

evaṃ yadi vibhāgaḥ syād varānnaṃ tad viśudhyati | anyathā vrīhayo 'py ete ekaikaṃ mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ | mantavyā dātṛbhoktṝṇāṃ mahāmāṃsaṃ tu tat smṛtam || 8.32 ||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ യഥോചിതമായ വിഭജനം (ഭാഗവിതരണം) ഉണ്ടായാൽ ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ അന്നം ശുദ്ധമാകും. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഈ അരിമണികളും—ഓരോന്നും—മാൻ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പക്ഷി എന്നപോലെ കരുതണം; ദാതാവിനും ഭോക്താവിനും അത് ‘മഹാമാംസം’ (മാംസസമം) എന്നു സ്മൃതിയിൽ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു।

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Word by Word

• evam: thus/in this way
• evam: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional particle)

• vibhāgaḥ: division/distribution
• vibhāgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• syāt: would be/should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vara-annam: excellent food
• vara-annam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara-anna (प्रातिपदिक: वर + अन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (वरम् अन्नम्)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; referring to varānnam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• viśudhyati: becomes purified
• viśudhyati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√śudh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: otherwise)

• vrīhayaḥ: rice grains
• vrīhayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrīhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि—समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (also/even)

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

• eka-ekam: one by one
• eka-ekam: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत्; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (one by one)

• mṛga-pakṣiṇaḥ: beasts and birds
• mṛga-pakṣiṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; understood: 'are')
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga-pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक: मृग + पक्षिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (मृगाश्च पक्षिणश्च)

• mantavyāḥ: should be regarded (as)
• mantavyāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate; obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु) + tavya (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त—तव्यत् (gerundive/obligatory); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण—‘to be considered’

• dātṛ-bhoktṝṇām: of the givers and eaters
• dātṛ-bhoktṝṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ-bhoktṛ (प्रातिपदिक: दातृ + भोक्तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (दातारश्च भोक्तारश्च)

• mahā-māṃsam: great flesh / much meat
• mahā-māṃsam: Karma (कर्म/Object; with mantavyāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मांस)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महद् मांसम्)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेष/विरोधार्थक (but/indeed)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; referring to mahāmāṃsam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• smṛtam: is declared/considered
• smṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि—‘is said/remembered’

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in the fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dharma
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a dharma-oriented food ethic found in Purāṇic and smṛti-style discourse, where correct distribution and social-ritual procedure are treated as determinants of purity and moral accountability.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is normative instruction concerning distribution and the ethical status of food consumption.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Proper division/allotment of food is presented as ethically purifying; neglecting this is rhetorically equated with consuming animal flesh, emphasizing responsibility shared by both giver and eater.