Varaha Purana 115.3: Adhyaya 115, Shloka 3

The Arising of Diverse Dharmas: Devotional Observances and Varṇa-Based Duties

Uttara Bhāga (traditional division; later didactic section) · Critique of quantity-based religiosity: wealth/large donations vs inner disposition

Devanagari script

नाहं दानसहस्रेण नाहं यज्ञशतैरपि ॥ तुष्यामि न तु वित्तेन ये नराः स्वल्पचेतसः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 115.3

Transliteration

nāhaṃ dānasahasreṇa nāhaṃ yajñaśatair api || tuṣyāmi na tu vittena ye narāḥ svalpacetasaḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Nie jestem zadowolony z tysiąca darów, ani nawet z setki ofiar, ani też z bogactwa, jak to czynią ludzie o ograniczonym zrozumieniu.

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Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• aham: I
• Type: Noun
• Form: First person pronoun; Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• dāna-sahasreṇa: by a thousand gifts
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'dānānāṃ sahasram' → 'dānasahasram' (a thousand gifts)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• aham: I
• Type: Noun
• Form: First person pronoun; Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• yajña-śataiḥ: by hundreds of sacrifices
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'yajñānāṃ śatāni' → 'yajñaśatāni' (hundreds of sacrifices), here instr. pl.
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)

• api: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (निपात); 'even/also'
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: api (अव्यय)

• tuṣyāmi: I am pleased
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• tu: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (निपात); contrast
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• vittena: by wealth
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: vitta (प्रातिपदिक)

• ye: who
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• narāḥ: men/people
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)

• svalpa-cetasaḥ: of petty mind
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुव्रीहि: 'svalpaṃ ceto yeṣām' (those whose mind is small) qualifying 'narāḥ'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• nāhaṃ = na + aham (vowel sandhi)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Vira rasa

Speaker

Varāha/Nārāyaṇa (instructor)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious; seeking right means of pleasing the Lord beyond ritualism

What she asks

What truly satisfies the Lord—external dāna/yajña/wealth, or an inner disposition?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Bhakti-ethics / antaryāmin-centered devotion

Subjects

EthicsRitual StudiesPhilosophy

Core idea

God is not ‘bought’ by quantity of ritual or wealth; the decisive factor is inner orientation and understanding.

In practice

Perform dāna/yajña without pride or transactional intent; prioritize devotion, humility, and clarity of purpose over scale.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Didactic instruction to Bhū-devī, devaluing mere external ritual/wealth without inner devotion.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Ethical Critique
• Purāṇic Didactics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects an internal critique within Sanskrit religious literature that relativizes ritual quantity and wealth, highlighting broader shifts toward intention and devotion.

Which geographic location is identified?

None; the verse is ethical and rhetorical rather than geographic.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It critiques performative or materially driven religiosity and implies that discernment and inner orientation are central to meaningful practice.