Varaha Purana 202.1: Adhyaya 202, Shloka 1

Description of Infernal Punishments and the Ripening of Karmic Consequences

Devanagari script

अथ नारकिदण्डनकर्मविपाकवर्णनम् ॥ ऋषिरुवाच ॥ विस्मयस्तु मया दृष्टस्तस्मिन्नद्भुतदर्शनः ॥ चित्रगुप्तस्य सन्देशो धर्मराजेन धीमताḥ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 202.1

Transliteration

atha nārakidaṇḍanakarmavipākavarṇanam || ṛṣir uvāca || vismayas tu mayā dṛṣṭas tasminn adbhutadarśanaḥ || citraguptasya sandeśo dharmarājena dhīmatāḥ

Translation

ఇప్పుడు నరకదండన మరియు కర్మవిపాక వర్ణనం. ఋషి పలికెను—ఆ అద్భుత దర్శనంలో నేను విస్మయాన్ని చూచితిని; జ్ఞానవంతుడైన ధర్మరాజు ద్వారా చిత్రగుప్తుని ఆదేశం వెలువడింది.

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Word by Word

• atha: then/now
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रस्तावना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक/अथ-शब्दः)

• nāraki-daṇḍana-karma-vipāka-varṇanam: description of the results of karmic punishments in hell
• nāraki-daṇḍana-karma-vipāka-varṇanam: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāraki (प्रातिपदिक) + daṇḍana (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + vipāka (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रधानः, शीर्षपदम्: varṇanam

• ṛṣiḥ: the sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said/spoke
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• vismayaḥ: astonishment
• vismayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/भाववाचक-विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adversative/contrast particle (विरोधार्थक)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता—करण/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: seen/experienced
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Kriyā (क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); agrees with vismayaḥ

• tasmin: in that (place/occasion)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Locative (सप्तमी) Singular (एकवचन)

• adbhuta-darśanaḥ: of wondrous appearance
• adbhuta-darśanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः—‘adbhutaṃ darśanaṃ yasya/yaḥ’ (wondrous in appearance)

• citraguptasya: of Citragupta
• citraguptasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citragupta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन)

• sandeśaḥ: message/order
• sandeśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• dharmarājena: by Dharmarāja (Yama)
• dharmarājena: Karta (कर्ता—agent/issuer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmarāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• dhīmatā: by the wise (one)
• dhīmatā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन); agrees with dharmarājena

Speaker

Ṛṣi (narrator)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Dharma Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It provides a formal chapter transition and frames a karmic-judicial taxonomy typical of late Purāṇic didactic narration.

Which geographic location is identified?

No terrestrial location is specified; the setting is a cosmological-judicial domain.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Deeds are understood to mature into consequences (karma-vipāka) within an administrated moral order.