Varaha Purana 199.10 — Adhyaya 199, Shloka 10

Description of the Torments of Rebirth: The Asipatravana Punishment and the Mechanics of Karmic Retribution

Devanagari script

अयःशरमयी नारी वह्नितप्ता सुदारुणा ॥ आलिङ्गति नरं तत्र धावन्तं चानुधावति

Transliteration

ayaḥśaramayī nārī vahnitaptā sudāruṇā || āliṅgati naraṃ tatra dhāvantaṃ cānudhāvati

Translation

Di sana seorang perempuan yang terbentuk daripada anak panah besi—dipanaskan oleh api dan amat kejam—memeluk seorang lelaki; dan apabila dia berlari, perempuan itu turut mengejarnya.

Word by Word

• ayaḥ-śara-mayī: made of iron arrows
• ayaḥ-śara-mayī: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ayas (प्रातिपदिक) + śara (प्रातिपदिक) + mayī (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; tatpuruṣa 'made of iron-arrows' (मयट्/मयी-प्रत्यय) qualifying nārī

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• vahni-taptā: fire-heated
• vahni-taptā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक) + tapta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa 'heated by fire' qualifying nārī

• su-dāruṇā: very dreadful
• su-dāruṇā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; karmadhāraya/intensified adjective with su-

• āliṅgati: embraces
• āliṅgati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + liṅg (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; √liṅg/√liṅg 'to embrace' with upasarga ā-

• naram: a man
• naram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place (देशवाचक)

• dhāvantam: running
• dhāvantam: Karma (कर्म) (object qualified)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhāv (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ) Masculine, Accusative, Singular; qualifying naram

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• anudhāvati: runs after/pursues
• anudhāvati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + dhāv (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; √dhāv with upasarga anu- 'to run after'

Speaker

Varāha

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Sexual violence and predatory misconduct rebound as relentless, inescapable torment in afterlife punishments.","karmic_consequence":"Being seized, burned, and pursued by a cruel punitive embodiment; flight offers no escape."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma as mirroring (pratibimba)","core_concept":"The sinner’s own violent grasp returns as a violent grasp; heat signifies tapas inverted into torment.","practical_application":"Practice ahimsa, sexual ethics, and respect for boundaries; seek repentance and restraint before habits harden."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Cosmology"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: infernal torture-ground

Cross References

Related Themes: Varaha Purana 199 (sequence of naraka punishments)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A man flees across a scorched ground while a woman-shaped torment—made of iron arrows, glowing from fire—embraces and then chases him relentlessly.","item_prompts":["iron-arrow-bodied woman","glowing heat","embers and flames","running terrified man","footprints on ash","motion lines/pursuit"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: fiery orange-red body with arrow motifs; dynamic chase composition; exaggerated hand-gestures of grasping; smoky background with stylized flames.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: metallic sheen suggested with gold leaf on arrow-body; flames in red lacquer tones; central figures large, with ornate frame; dramatic pursuit frozen mid-stride.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: fine detailing of arrow texture, heat shimmer; expressive facial fear; controlled flame rendering; balanced composition with diagonal chase line.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: miniature chase scene with stylized flames like floral tongues; delicate arrow patterning; strong narrative clarity with minimal background."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"intense, punitive","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"stern, forceful"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ethics
• Naraka Descriptions
• Sanskrit Compound Analysis

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It demonstrates Purāṇic use of personified punitive agents and intense metaphor (iron-arrow body) to encode moral instruction through narrative shock.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is identified; the setting remains an otherworldly punitive scene.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse supports the broader ethical message that certain transgressions lead to inescapable consequences.