Varaha Purana 47.8: Adhyaya 47, Shloka 8

The Rite of Śrāvaṇa Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī (Dāmodara Worship) and the Exemplum of King Nṛga

Pūrva Bhāga · Narratives of Kingship and Dharma (Itihāsa-style Exempla)

Devanagari script

पुरा कृतयुगे राजा नृगो नाम महाबलः । बभ्राम स वनं घोरं मृगयासक्तमानसः ॥ ४७.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 47.8

Transliteration

purā kṛtayuge rājā nṛgo nāma mahābalaḥ | babhrāma sa vanaṃ ghoraṃ mṛgayāsaktamānasaḥ || 47.8 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Dawno temu, w Krta Judze, był król o imieniu Nrga, o potężnej sile. Z umysłem przywiązanym do polowania, wędrował do straszliwego lasu.

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Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)
• Role: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location-Time)
• Root: कृतयुग (प्रातिपदिक)

• राजा: king
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• नृगः: Nṛga
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: नृग (प्रातिपदिक)

• नाम: by name
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating appellation)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Name-marker)
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)

• महाबलः: very strong, mighty
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) of राजा/नृगः
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक: महा + बल)

• बभ्राम: wandered, roamed
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)

• सः: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वनम्: forest
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)

• घोरम्: terrible, dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of वनम्
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृगया-असक्त-मानसः: whose mind was attached to hunting
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थः: मृगयायाम् असक्तं मानसं यस्य; विशेषण of सः/राजा
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: मृगया (प्रातिपदिक) + असक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• मृगयासक्तमानसः = मृगया + असक्त + मानसः (समास)

Speaker and setting

Vira and Bhayanaka rasaSetting: Forest/wilderness

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics of desire and kingship

Subjects

Historical NarrativeEthicsKingshipHuman–Nature Interaction

Core idea

Attachment (āsakti) even in a powerful king can lead one into perilous paths; strength without restraint invites downfall.

In practice

Cultivate self-restraint and redirect compulsive pursuits (e.g., hunting/violence) toward dharmic duties and compassion.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaishnavism
• Environmental Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It introduces a Puranic exemplum centered on King Nṛga, using an archaic-yuga setting (Kṛta Yuga) to frame moral and social reflection typical of Purāṇic narrative historiography.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific named site is given here; the verse mentions a generic 'ghora vana' (a formidable forest), functioning as a narrative setting rather than a clearly identifiable historical geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it signals scrutiny of a ruler’s attachment (āsakti) to hunting—an attachment that can lead one into danger or moral complication—setting up an ethical evaluation in subsequent verses.