Varaha Purana 5.3: Adhyaya 5, Shloka 3

Reconciliation of Action and Knowledge: Offering All Acts to Nārāyaṇa and the Hymn to the Yajña-Puruṣa

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogic Dharma Inquiry (Kapila–Rāja Saṃvāda)

Devanagari script

कपिल उवाच । कस्ते मनसि सन्देहो राजन् परमधार्मिक । छिन्दामि येन तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्रूहि यत्तेऽभिवाञ्छितम् ॥ ५.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 5.3

Transliteration

kapila uvāca | kas te manasi saṃdeho rājan paramadhārmika | chindāmi yena tac chrutvā brūhi yat te ’bhivāñchitam || 5.3 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Kapila berkata: “Wahai raja yang amat berpegang pada dharma, apakah keraguan yang timbul dalam hatimu? Nyatakan apa yang engkau ingin ketahui; setelah mendengarnya, aku akan melenyapkannya.”

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Word by Word

• कपिलः: Kapila
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• कः: what/which
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: your
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सन्देहः: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• परमधार्मिक: O supremely righteous one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमः धार्मिकः)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण; to राजन्)
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)

• छिन्दामि: I cut/remove (resolve)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: छिद् (धातु)

• येन: by which
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम
• Role: Karana (करण/Means)
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्: that
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that (doubt/question)’
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)
• Role: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Root: श्रु (धातु)

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)

• यत्: what (that which)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: your
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभिवाञ्छितम्: desired (thing)
• Type: Noun
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘desired’ (object of ब्रूहि)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: अभि-√वाञ्छ् (धातु) → अभिवाञ्छित (कृदन्त)

Sandhi Notes

• कस्ते = कः + ते
• तच्छ्रुत्वा = तत् + श्रुत्वा
• यत्तेऽभिवाञ्छितम् = यत् + ते + अभिवाञ्छितम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Karuna rasaSetting: Dialogue space

Speaker

Kapila

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

What she asks

Invites articulation of the king’s doubt so it may be cut (saṃśaya-ccheda) through teaching.

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemology (saṃśaya and pramāṇa-guided resolution)

Subjects

EthicsPhilosophical DialogueEpistemology (doubt and inquiry)

Core idea

Doubt is a legitimate starting point; articulation enables removal through śravaṇa (hearing) and reasoning under guidance.

In practice

Name your uncertainty precisely before seeking counsel; listen fully, then apply the clarified principle.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Sanskrit Studies
• Indic Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic pedagogical frame: a respected teacher invites a ruler to articulate a doubt (saṃdeha), establishing inquiry and clarification as a legitimate method of transmitting dharma and philosophical instruction.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a dialogue-setting prompt rather than a description of sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse models ethical discourse through humility and openness: the inquirer should state the desired question clearly, and the teacher should respond by removing doubt through attentive listening and reasoned explanation.