Varaha Purana 137.9 — Adhyaya 137, Shloka 9

The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field

Devanagari script

क्रीडामेवात्र जानामि येन क्रीडन्ति बालकाः ॥ राज्यचिन्तां न जानामि राजानो यां तु कुर्वते

Transliteration

krīḍām evātra jānāmi yena krīḍanti bālakāḥ || rājya-cintāṁ na jānāmi rājāno yāṁ tu kurvate

Translation

ที่นี่ข้าพเจ้ารู้เพียงการเล่นดังที่เด็กๆ เล่นกัน; ข้าพเจ้าไม่รู้ความกังวลแห่งราชการปกครองที่บรรดากษัตริย์ต้องกระทำ

Word by Word

• krīḍām: play; sport
• krīḍām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• jānāmi: I know
• jānāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yena: by which/whereby
• yena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• krīḍanti: they play
• krīḍanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √krīḍ krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bālakāḥ: children
• bālakāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• rājya-cintām: worry about the kingdom
• rājya-cintām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya + cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• jānāmi: I know
• jānāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• rājānaḥ: kings
• rājānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yām: which (that)
• yām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• kurvate: they do/undertake
• kurvate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ कृ (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue frame; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Kingship","Psychology of Duty"]

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Political Ethics
• Didactic Contrast
• Sanskrit Poetics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It captures a classical topos: statecraft as mental burden (cintā) contrasted with childhood play, useful for studying ancient political ethics and literary rhetoric.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic reference is present.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

A recognition that governance requires specialized competence and psychological readiness, not merely status or inheritance.