Varaha Purana 39.55: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 55
Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance
Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstra / Ācāra (Guru-śiṣya ethics)
प्रतिपद्य गुरुं यस्तु मोहाद् विप्रतिपद्यते । स जन्मकोटि नरके पच्यते पुरुषाधमः । विधानस्य प्रदाता यो गुरुरित्युच्यते बुधैः ॥ ३९.५५ ॥
pratipadya guruṃ yastu mohād vipratipadyate | sa janmakoṭi narake pacyate puruṣādhamaḥ | vidhānasya pradātā yo gurur ity ucyate budhaiḥ || 39.55 ||
pratipadya guruM yastu mohAd vipratipadyate | sa janmakoTi narake pachyate puruShAdhamaH | vidhAnasya pradAtA yo gururityuchyate budhaiH || 39.55 ||
Namun sesiapa yang telah menerima seorang guru, lalu kerana kekeliruan berpaling menentangnya—orang yang paling hina itu dikatakan diseksa di neraka selama satu koṭi kelahiran. Yang bijaksana menamakan “guru” sebagai orang yang menganugerahkan ketetapan (vidhāna) yang benar.
Sandhi Notes
- yastu → yaḥ tu
- mohād → mohāt (final -d before voiceless/pausa)
- atharvaś etc not here
- gurur ity → guruḥ iti (visarga before vowel)
Varāha
Commitment to the teacher is commitment to the path; moha manifests as hostility toward guidance.
Maintain loyalty and respectful conduct toward one’s instructor; if disagreement arises, resolve with humility or formally withdraw without malice or slander.
The guru as ‘vidhāna-pradātā’ parallels the Lord as cosmic lawgiver; rejecting the guru is rejecting the very order that lifts beings from chaos—an anti-ṛta act.
Guru as the one who sets the yajña’s boundaries (vidhi); opposing him is like breaking the altar and spilling the fire—inviting ‘naraka’ as disorder’s consequence.
Avidyā (moha) causes vipratipatti (contradiction) toward the source of knowledge; liberation requires śraddhā and disciplined receptivity to pramāṇa (śāstra/guru).
Having accepted a guru, one must not turn against him out of delusion; the guru is defined as the giver of vidhāna (proper ordinance).
Betrayal of the guru leads to severe naraka-suffering for a crore births; honoring the guru preserves dharma and supports spiritual attainment.
39.39.54 (qualified transmission); 39.39.56 (proper giving and worship)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic and Dharma-śāstra concern with regulating teacher–disciple relationships, framing loyalty to instruction (vidhāna) as a cornerstone of learned culture and social ethics.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is ethical and definitional (the role of the guru).
After accepting a teacher, one should not act in opposition due to delusion; the verse emphasizes fidelity to legitimate instruction and defines the guru as the giver of proper ordinance (vidhāna).
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