Varaha Purana 38.4: Adhyaya 38, Shloka 4

The Hunter’s Austerity and the Gaining of Durvāsas’ Favor

Devanagari script

मा भक्षयस्व सकटमुच्चैरेवं प्रभाषिते । ततोऽसौ तं विहायान्यद् वार्क्षं पतितमग्रहीत् ॥ ३८.४ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 38.4

Transliteration

mā bhakṣayasva sakaṭam uccair evaṃ prabhāṣite | tato 'sau taṃ vihāyānyad vārkṣaṃ patitam agrahīt || 38.4 ||

Translation

मा भक्षयस्व सकटम्—इत्युच्चैः प्रभाषिते । ततोऽसौ तं विहायान्यद् वार्क्षं पतितमग्रहीत् ॥

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Word by Word

• mā: do not
• mā: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• bhakṣayasva: eat/devour
• bhakṣayasva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपद

• sakaṭam: cart
• sakaṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• uccaiḥ: aloud
• uccaiḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uccaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• prabhāṣite: when (it was) spoken
• prabhāṣite: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘प्रभाषिते (सति)’ = when it was spoken

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अपादान/क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• asau: he
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tam: that (one/it)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• vihāya: having left/abandoned
• vihāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-hā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle): ‘having abandoned’

• anyat: another
• anyat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• vārkṣam: wooden / of wood
• vārkṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘वृक्षसम्बन्धि’ (made of/related to wood)

• patitam: fallen
• patitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• agrahīt: he seized/took
• agrahīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not stated in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaishnavism
• Didactic Dialogue

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: brief imperative instruction embedded in a story, reflecting how moral restraint is taught through episodic dialogue rather than formal law-code exposition.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse-fragment; it is a localized narrative moment involving an object (a cart) and a fallen wooden piece.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Restraint and redirection of harmful action: the command forbids destruction (“do not devour the cart”), leading to a shift toward a less damaging alternative.