Varaha Purana 210.39: Adhyaya 210, Shloka 39

Inquiry into Moral Agency (Karma) and Practical Means for the Dissolution of Sin: the Śiśumāra Contemplation

Uttara Bhāga · Pāpa-nāśana: Seeking an Accessible Method (Alpopāya)

Devanagari script

ततोऽप्यल्पतरश्चेत्स्यादुपायो योगवित्तम ॥ कथ्यतां मे महाभाग येन पापं प्रणश्यति ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 210.39

Transliteration

tato 'py alpataraś cet syād upāyo yoga-vittama | kathyatāṃ me mahābhāga yena pāpaṃ praṇaśyati ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

“หากยังมีวิธีที่ง่ายกว่านั้น โอ้ผู้รู้โยคะอย่างยิ่ง โอ้ท่านผู้ประเสริฐ โปรดบอกแก่ข้าพเจ้า—วิธีที่ทำให้บาปสิ้นไป”

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• ततः: from that / than that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)
• Role: Apadana (अपादान/From that)
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निपात (particle; also/even)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• अल्पतरः: smaller/lesser
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition)
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)

• स्यात्: might be
• Type: Verb
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• उपायः: means/method
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)

• योगवित्तम: O best knower of yoga
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (योगस्य वित्तम/वित्तमः = योगविदां श्रेष्ठः)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: योग + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक)

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Command)
• Root: कथ् (धातु)

• मे: to me
• Type: Noun
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—बहुव्रीहि (महान् भागः यस्य सः)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)

• येन: by which
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पापम्: sin
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रणश्यति: perishes/is destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• ततोऽपि → ततः + अपि
• अल्पतरश्चेत् → अल्पतरः + चेत्
• स्यादुपायः → स्यात् + उपायः

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Karuna rasaSetting: Dialogue setting

Speaker

Nārada

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

What she asks

Is there an even easier upāya than the previously taught one, by which pāpa is destroyed?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Soteriology/practical means

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticePhilosophy

Core idea

Spiritual means should be evaluated by efficacy in pāpa-kṣaya and feasibility; compassionately tailored upāyas are sought for common practitioners.

In practice

Ask for a sādhana suited to one’s adhikāra (capacity)—simple, repeatable, and ethically purifying—rather than only arduous disciplines.

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Dharma Practice
• Soteriology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a Purāṇic tendency to propose accessible religious-ethical practices for broader audiences, contrasting demanding disciplines with simpler upāyas.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic reference occurs in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The ethical focus is on seeking a practicable method that effectively removes moral fault (pāpa), emphasizing feasibility alongside efficacy.