Varaha Purana 38.23: Adhyaya 38, Shloka 23
The Hunter’s Austerity and the Gaining of Durvāsas’ Favor
व्याध उवाच । व्याधोऽस्मि पापकर्मास्मि ब्रह्महास्मि सरिद्वरे । तथापि संस्मृता देवि पाहि मां शरणं गतम् ॥ ३८.२३ ॥
vyādha uvāca | vyādho 'smi pāpa-karmā 'smi brahmahā 'smi saridvare | tathāpi saṃsmṛtā devi pāhi māṃ śaraṇaṃ gatam || 38.23 ||
พรานกล่าวว่า “ข้าพเจ้าเป็นพราน เป็นผู้กระทำกรรมบาป เป็นผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ ณ ท่าน้ำอันประเสริฐนี้ ถึงกระนั้นก็ตาม โอ เทวี! เมื่อระลึกถึงพระองค์แล้ว ขอทรงคุ้มครองข้าพเจ้า ผู้มาขอพึ่งพิง”
Vyādha (the hunter)
FAQs
It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative motif in which a socially marginal figure confesses grave transgressions and seeks protection, reflecting medieval Indic discourse on sin, confession-like self-disclosure, and the accessibility of refuge/atonement themes in public sacred settings.
The verse does not name a specific river; it uses the generic expression saridvare (“at an excellent river-ford”), a formula that often signals a tīrtha-like setting but is not sufficient for secure modern identification without surrounding verses.
The verse foregrounds accountability (explicit admission of wrongdoing) and the ethical-philosophical theme of śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge), implying that even those who acknowledge serious harm may appeal for protection/recourse within a moral-ritual framework.
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