Varaha Purana 69.4: Adhyaya 69, Shloka 4

Agastya’s Vision of Varuṇa as Nārāyaṇa in Ilāvṛta

Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography and Ascetic Landscapes (Tīrtha/Āśrama Narratives)

Devanagari script

तत्र रम्यं सरो दृष्टं तस्य तीरे महाकुटी । तत्रोपवासशिथिलं दृष्टवानस्मि तापसम् । अस्थिचर्मावशेषं तु चीरवल्कलधारिणम् ॥ ६९.४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 69.4

Transliteration

tatra ramyaṃ saro dṛṣṭaṃ tasya tīre mahākuṭī | tatropavāsaśithilaṃ dṛṣṭavān asmi tāpasam | asthicarma-āvaśeṣaṃ tu cīra-valkala-dhāriṇam || 69.4 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ที่นั่นข้าพเจ้าเห็นสระน้ำอันงดงาม และที่ฝั่งมีอาศรมกระท่อมใหญ่ หลังนั้นข้าพเจ้าเห็นดาบสผู้ซูบผอมเพราะการอดอาหาร ถือพรตอยู่— นุ่งห่มผ้าขาดและเปลือกไม้ ร่างกายเหลือเพียงกระดูกกับหนังเท่านั้น

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative setting)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• सरः: lake
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दृश्’ धातोः क्त
• Role: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• तस्य: of it/that
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तीरे: on the bank
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)

• महाकुटी: a great hut
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती कुटी)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + कुटी (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative setting)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• उपवासशिथिलम्: weakened by fasting
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उपवासेन शिथिलः)
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक) + शिथिल (प्रातिपदिक)

• दृष्टवान्: (I) saw
• Type: Verb
• Form: कर्तरि क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (perfective past participle used as finite), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘I saw’ sense
• Role: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)

• अस्मि: am
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन
• Role: क्रिया (Auxiliary/finite verb)
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• तापसम्: ascetic
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्थिचर्मावशेषम्: reduced to bones and skin
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अस्थि-चर्म-रूपेण अवशेषः)
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अवशेष (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• चीरवल्कलधारिणम्: wearing rags and bark-garments
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चीर-वल्कले धारयति इति)
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: चीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• तत्रोपवासशिथिलम् = तत्र + उपवासशिथिलम्
• दृष्टवानस्मि = दृष्टवान् + अस्मि
• अस्थिचर्मावशेषम् (समास)
• चीरवल्कलधारिणम् (समास)

Speaker and setting

Karuna and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Sacred hermitage site (tīra/āśrama)

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics of tapas and discernment

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesEthics

Core idea

Tapas can reach bodily extremity (bones-and-skin) through prolonged fasting; the verse invites reflection on the balance between inner realization and outer austerity, and the compassionate gaze of the narrator.

In practice

Practice austerity with viveka: sustain discipline without self-harm; cultivate compassion toward ascetics and support them appropriately (anna-dāna, sevā) when dharmically indicated.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography
• Ascetic Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic literary motif of sacred landscapes (a lake and hermitage) connected with austerity, reflecting how tīrtha/āśrama settings were used to frame ethical and contemplative ideals in early Sanskrit narrative traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse mentions a 'beautiful lake' and its bank but does not provide a specific toponym in this excerpt; therefore, no secure modern identification can be made from this line alone.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The passage foregrounds disciplined restraint through fasting and simplicity of living, presenting ascetic endurance as an ethical exemplar within a sacred natural setting.