Varaha Purana 71.39: Adhyaya 71, Shloka 39

Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account

Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstra and Vedic Orthopraxy (vrata, śāpa, and ritual boundaries)

Devanagari script

ऋषीणां मायया सर्वमिदं जातं विचिन्त्य वै । शशाप तान् जटाभस्ममिथ्याव्रतधरास्तथा । भविष्यथ त्रयीबाह्या वेदकर्मबहिष्कृताः ॥ ७१.३९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 71.39

Transliteration

ṛṣīṇāṃ māyayā sarvam idaṃ jātaṃ vicintya vai | śaśāpa tān jaṭābhasma-mithyā-vrata-dharās tathā | bhaviṣyatha trayī-bāhyā veda-karma-bahiṣkṛtāḥ || 71.39 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ఇదంతా ఋషుల మాయవల్లే జరిగిందని విచారించి అతడు వారిని శపించాడు—“జటా-భస్మధారులై, మిథ్యావ్రతధారులై, త్రయీ (వేద) బాహ్యులుగా, వేదకర్మల నుండి బహిష్కృతులుగా అవుతారు.”

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Word by Word

• ṛṣīṇām: of the sages
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (Plural)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)

• māyayā: by illusion
• Type: Noun
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarvam: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular); viśeṣaṇa of idam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)

• idam: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• jātam: arisen / become
• Type: Verb
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle/भूतकर्मणि), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Accusative, Ekavacana; predicative with idam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: √jan (जन्) + kta (क्त)

• vicintya: having reflected
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त), indeclinable; prior action to śaśāpa
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: √cint (चिन्त्) + lyap (ल्यप्)

• vai: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle/emphasis (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: vai (अव्यय)

• śaśāpa: cursed
• Type: Verb
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √śap (शप्)

• tān: them
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (Plural)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• jaṭā-bhasma-mithyā-vrata-dharāḥ: (those) bearing matted hair and ashes, holding false vows
• Type: Noun
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural); bahuvrīhi qualifying tān (accusative sense by apposition)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + mithyā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)

• tathā: thus / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)

• bhaviṣyatha: you will become
• Type: Verb
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Periphrastic future/लुट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd), Bahuvacana (Plural), Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √bhū (भू)

• trayī-bāhyāḥ: outside the three Vedas
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural); viśeṣaṇa of implied 'yūyam'
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: trayī (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)

• veda-karma-bahiṣkṛtāḥ: excluded from Vedic rites
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural); viśeṣaṇa of implied 'yūyam'
• Role: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bahiṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक; from √kṛ with bahis-)

Sandhi Notes

• sarvam idaṃ → sarvam idam
• jaṭābhasma-mithyā-vrata-dharāḥ treated as a multi-member bahuvrīhi compound
• trayī-bāhyāḥ and veda-karma-bahiṣkṛtāḥ are tatpuruṣa compounds

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Bibhatsa rasaSetting: Ethical-ritual adjudication scene

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Path

Dharma Authority And Integrity

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeAuthority and Exclusion in Vedic Tradition

Core idea

Religious authority depends on truthfulness and right intention; hypocrisy (‘mithyā-vrata’) severs one from the sustaining tradition (‘trayī’).

In practice

Prioritize inner integrity over external display; avoid manipulative ‘spiritual’ performances; align vows with capacity and truth.

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Dharma and Ritual Discourse
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic discourse on ritual legitimacy, contrasting recognized Vedic practice (trayī and veda-karma) with groups portrayed as adopting external markers (jaṭā, bhasma) while being framed as outside Vedic orthopraxy.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic toponym appears in this verse; it is primarily concerned with ritual status and social-religious categorization.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes integrity in vowed conduct and ritual practice, warning against “false vows” (mithyā-vrata) and presenting exclusion from Vedic rites as a consequence within the text’s normative framework.