Varaha Purana 8.4: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 4

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

Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna

Devanagari script

अग्निं परिचरन् नित्यं वदन् सत्यं सुभाषितम् । प्राणयात्रानुसक्तस्तु योऽसौ जीवं न पातयेत् ॥ ८.४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 8.4

Transliteration

agniṃ paricaran nityaṃ vadan satyaṃ subhāṣitam | prāṇayātrānusaktas tu yo'sau jīvaṃ na pātayet || 8.4 ||

Translation

Servindo continuamente o fogo sagrado, dizendo a verdade e palavras bem proferidas, aquele que se dedica a sustentar a vida não deve abater nenhum ser vivo (isto é, não deve matar).

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Word by Word

• अग्निम्: fire (Agni)
• अग्निम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• परिचरन्: serving/attending
• परिचरन्: Karta (कर्ता—सहायक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√चर् (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमान-कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Parasmaipada sense

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया) meaning ‘always’

• वदन्: speaking
• वदन्: Karta (कर्ता—सहायक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; used as object of ‘speaking’

• सु-भाषितम्: good speech / well-spoken words
• सु-भाषितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + भाषित (कृदन्त; √भाष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; karmadhāraya: ‘well-spoken (speech)’

• प्राण-यात्रा-अनुसक्तः: attached to sustaining life
• प्राण-यात्रा-अनुसक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुसक्त (कृदन्त; अनु√सञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘attached to life-maintenance (livelihood)’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun

• असौ: that (person)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता—यः…असौ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• जीवम्: a living creature
• जीवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; ‘living being’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• पातयेत्: should not kill / should not cause to fall
• पातयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) (causative: पातय-)
• Form: Causative (णिजन्त), Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; ‘should cause to fall/kill’

Speaker

Varāha (default attribution; speaker not explicit in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Dharma-śāstra Themes
• Ethical Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic synthesis of ritual observance (agni-service) with ethical discipline (truthful, measured speech and restraint from harming living beings), illustrating how conduct (ācāra) is framed as integral to cultural-religious life in early Sanskrit textual traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is ethical and behavioral rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Maintain disciplined conduct—serve the sacred fire, speak truth and beneficial words, and avoid harming or killing living beings, emphasizing life-sustaining responsibility (prāṇayātrā).