Varaha Purana 8.16: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 16

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

Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna

Devanagari script

श्वश्र्वा अहम् उक्ता तीव्रेण कोपेन महता पितः । जीवहन्तुः सुतेत्युच्चैरसकृद् व्याधजेति च ॥ ८.१६ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 8.16

Transliteration

śvaśrvāham uktā tīvreṇa kopena mahatā pitaḥ | jīvahantuḥ sutety uccair asakṛd vyādha jeti ca || 8.16 ||

Translation

Dia berkata: “Wahai ayah, ibu mertuaku menegurku dengan kemarahan yang amat besar, sambil menjerit berulang-ulang: ‘Wahai anak perempuan si pembunuh makhluk bernyawa—hai pemenang, hai pemburu!’”

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Word by Word

• श्वश्र्वा: by (my) mother-in-law
• श्वश्र्वा: करण (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वश्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उक्ता: was spoken to
• उक्ता: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘was told/abused’

• तीव्रेण: with intense
• तीव्रेण: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘intense’ (qualifying कोपेन)

• कोपेन: anger
• कोपेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• महता: great
• महता: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘great’ (qualifying कोपेन)

• पितः: O father
• पितः: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• जीवहन्तुः: of a killer of living beings
• जीवहन्तुः: सम्बन्ध (Epithet/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जीवानां हन्ता)

• सुता: O daughter
• सुता: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘सुते’ इति)

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यचिह्न (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• उच्चैः: loudly
• उच्चैः: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• असकृत्: repeatedly
• असकृत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Frequency/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आवृत्तिवाचक (frequency adverb)

• व्याध: O hunter
• व्याध: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• जेति: conquer/win!
• जेति: क्रिया (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (पाठे ‘जे’ + ‘इति’ संधिः)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Dharma Ethics
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic narrative motif of domestic conflict and verbal aggression, illustrating how moral discourse is embedded in family settings and everyday speech.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is mentioned in this verse fragment.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds the social and ethical weight of speech—how anger-driven accusations and stigmatizing labels (e.g., “slayer of living beings”) function as moral condemnation within familial relations.