Varaha Purana 41.29: Adhyaya 41, Shloka 29
Rite of the Varāha Dvādaśī Vow and an Exemplary Narrative on Expiation for Brahmin-Slaying
Pūrva Bhāga · Narrative Dharma and Royal Conduct (Brāhmaṇa-harm, expiation motifs)
तान् दृष्ट्वा तु मृतान् राजा ब्राह्मणान् संहितव्रतान् । भयेन वेपमानस्तु देवराताश्रमं ययौ । तत्रापृच्छद् ब्रह्मवध्याः ममायाता महामुने ॥ ४१.२९ ॥
tān dṛṣṭvā tu mṛtān rājā brāhmaṇān saṁhitavratān | bhayena vepamānas tu devarātāśramaṁ yayau | tatrāpṛcchad brahmavadhyā mamāyātā mahāmune || 41.29 ||
tAn dRRiShTvA tu mRRitAn rAjA brAhmaNAn saMshitavratAn | bhayena vepamAnastu devarAtAshramaM yayau | tatrApRRichChad brahmavadhyA mamAyAtA mahAmune || 41.29 ||
ครั้นพระราชาทอดพระเนตรเห็นพราหมณ์ผู้เคร่งครัดในวัตรทั้งหลายสิ้นชีวิต ก็ทรงสั่นด้วยความหวาดกลัว เสด็จไปยังอาศรมของเทวราต แล้วทูลถามว่า “ข้าแต่มหามุนี บาปแห่งการฆ่าพราหมณ์ได้มาถึงข้าพเจ้าหรือไม่?”
Sandhi Notes
- tatrāpṛcchat = tatra apṛcchat
- devarātāśramam = devarāta-āśramam
- mamāyātāḥ = mama āyātāḥ
Narrator
Has the sin of brahmin-slaying (brahmahatyā) come upon me?
Recognition of wrongdoing and seeking guidance is the first movement from adharma to dharma; fear becomes a catalyst for correction.
When harm occurs—intentional or accidental—seek counsel, confess plainly, and accept corrective discipline rather than rationalizing.
One who fears brahmahatyā after harming brāhmaṇas should approach a qualified ṛṣi/ācārya in an āśrama and confess, seeking prescribed expiation.
Confession and guided prāyaścitta mitigate/neutralize pāpa; denial or delay intensifies inner torment and karmic fruition.
41.41.28 (cause: killing brahmavādins); 41.41.30 (grief narration); 41.41.31 (promise of removal of pāpa)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic ethical motif: a ruler confronted by the consequences of harm to brāhmaṇas and seeking guidance at an āśrama, illustrating the literary linkage between kingship, moral anxiety, and ascetic counsel.
The verse specifies “Devarāta’s hermitage (Devarātāśrama).” The excerpt does not provide enough internal evidence to securely map it to a single modern location; it functions primarily as an āśrama setting within the narrative geography.
The verse foregrounds accountability and recourse to learned counsel: upon witnessing grievous harm, the ruler responds with fear and seeks clarification about culpability (brahmin-slaying), emphasizing ethical self-examination and consultation with sages.
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