Varaha Purana 116.14: Adhyaya 116, Shloka 14

An Exposition on the Causes of Happiness and Suffering

Devanagari script

मृत्युकालवशं प्राप्तस्ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥ हस्त्यश्व रथयानानि गम्यमानानि पश्यति

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 116.14

Transliteration

mṛtyukālavaśaṃ prāptas tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim || hasty-aśva-ratha-yānāni gamyamānāni paśyati

Translation

मृत्युकालवशं प्राप्तस्ततो दुःखतरं नु किम्। हस्त्यश्व रथयानानि गम्यमानानि पश्यति॥

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Word by Word

• मृत्यु-काल-वशम्: the control/power of the time of death
• मृत्यु-काल-वशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृत्यु-कालस्य वशः)

• प्राप्तः: having reached / having come under
• प्राप्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्राप्त’ = having reached/attained

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दुःखतरम्: more painful / more sorrowful
• दुःखतरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीय-तुलनात्मक (comparative) विशेषण

• नु: indeed? / then?
• नु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; interrogative/emphatic)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• हस्ति-अश्व-रथ-यानानि: elephants, horses, chariots, and vehicles
• हस्ति-अश्व-रथ-यानानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समासः

• गम्यमानानि: being driven / moving along
• गम्यमानानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे; passive present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘being gone/being driven’

• पश्यति: he sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha (default, instructional voice)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Moral Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic didactic style: vivid social imagery is used to underscore impermanence and the vulnerability of embodied life.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the imagery is general (vehicles and travel) rather than site-specific.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To recognize the inevitability of death and the resulting helplessness, encouraging reflective conduct rather than attachment to worldly display and movement.