Varaha Purana 202.4: Adhyaya 202, Shloka 4

Description of Infernal Punishments and the Ripening of Karmic Consequences

Uttara Bhāga · Nāraka-daṇḍa-karmavipāka-varṇana (Description of Infernal Punishments and Karmic Consequences)

Devanagari script

दुराचारं पापरतं निर्घृणं पापचेतसम् ॥ श्वानस्तु हिंसका ये च भक्षयन्तु दुरात्मकम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 202.4

Transliteration

durācāraṃ pāparataṃ nirghṛṇaṃ pāpachetasam || śvānas tu hiṃsakā ye ca bhakṣayantu durātmakam

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ขอให้สุนัขดุร้ายทั้งหลายกัดกินผู้อธรรมผู้นั้น ผู้ประพฤติชั่ว หมกมุ่นในบาป ไร้เมตตา และมีจิตคิดบาป

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Word by Word

• dur-ācāram: evil conduct (one of evil conduct)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); dur- as pejorative prefix
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)

• pāpa-ratam: devoted to sin
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः—pāpe rataḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (प्रातिपदिक)

• nirghṛṇam: merciless
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: nirghṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)

• pāpa-cetasam: one whose mind is sinful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहिः—‘pāpaṃ ceto yasya saḥ’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)

• śvānaḥ: dogs
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: śvan (प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya; emphasis/contrast particle (विरोध/निश्चय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• hiṃsakāḥ: attackers/violent ones
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन); appositional to śvānaḥ
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: hiṃsaka (प्रातिपदिक)

• ye: who
• Type: Noun
• Form: Relative pronoun; Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चयार्थक)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• bhakṣayantu: let them devour
• Type: Verb
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)

• dur-ātmakam: the evil-souled (person)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहिः—‘durātmā yasya/yaḥ’ used as object qualifier
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• śvānas tu → śvānaḥ + tu (visarga sandhi)

Speaker and setting

Bhayanaka and Raudra rasaSetting: Execution-field / torment-zone

Speaker

Ṛṣi (narrator; reporting punitive instruction)

The teaching

Path

Character Ethics

Subjects

EthicsAfterlife jurisprudence

Core idea

Inner disposition (pāpa-cetas) and repeated conduct (dūrācāra) shape destiny, not isolated acts alone.

In practice

Cultivate compassion and self-restraint; interrupt cycles of habitual wrongdoing early.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Dharma Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It demonstrates Purāṇic moral classification through compact epithets, used to justify narrative penalties in karmavipāka sections.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is identified.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse condemns cruelty and habitual wrongdoing, presenting them as causes for severe consequences.