Varaha Purana 136.38: Adhyaya 136, Shloka 38

A Sūtra-like Manual of Expiations for Ritual Transgressions

Devanagari script

तत्पापशोधनार्थाय मया वाक्यं प्रभाषितम् ॥ श्मशानं समलं रुद्र पूतिको व्रणगन्धिकः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 136.38

Transliteration

tatpāpaśodhanārthāya mayā vākyaṃ prabhāṣitam || śmaśānaṃ samalaṃ rudra pūtiko vraṇagandhikaḥ

Translation

ఆ పాపశోధనార్థమై నేను ఈ వాక్యము పలికితిని—‘హే రుద్రా, శ్మశానం అపవిత్రము; అది పూతికరమై వ్రణగంధముతో నిండినది.’

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Word by Word

• tat: that

• pāpa: sin

• śodhana-arthāya: for the purpose of purification

• mayā: by me

• vākyam: statement

• prabhāṣitam: spoken/uttered

• śmaśānam: cremation-ground

• samalam: impure/defiled

• rudra: O Rudra

• pūtikaḥ: foul/putrid

• vraṇa: wound/ulcer

• gandhikaḥ: having smell/odoriferous (here: stinking of)

Speaker

Narrator (default framework: Varāha as instructor) (inferred); direct instruction to Śiva

Tags

• Purāṇic Ritual Geography
• Cultural Heritage (Śmaśāna)
• Ethics and Atonement
• Sanskrit Vocabulary

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It evidences the ritual and symbolic importance of liminal spaces (cremation-grounds) in Purāṇic culture, where impurity is not merely avoided but can be instrumental in narratives of purification.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse identifies a type of place—śmaśāna (cremation-ground)—rather than a specific named locality.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Purification is framed as facing the consequences of harm through prescribed, often uncomfortable disciplines, rather than seeking moral evasion.