Varaha Purana 71.8: Adhyaya 71, Shloka 8

Vision of the Trimūrti in Rudra, the Gautama Curse, the Manifestation of the Godāvarī, and the Niḥśvāsa-saṃhitā Account

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ते तु रुद्रेण सर्वे ते मुनयो नृप । पप्रच्छुः शङ्करं देवं मोहशास्त्रप्रयोजनम् ॥ ७१.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 71.8

Transliteration

evam ukte tu rudreṇa sarve te munayo nṛpa | papracchuḥ śaṅkaraṃ devaṃ mohaśāstraprayojanam || 71.8 ||

Translation

เมื่อพระรุทระตรัสดังนี้แล้ว โอ้พระราชา เหล่ามุนีทั้งปวงได้ทูลถามพระศังกรเทพถึงจุดมุ่งหมายของ ‘โมหศาสตร’ คือคัมภีร์ว่าด้วยการก่อให้เกิดความหลง

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उक्ते: when it was said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्समये (locative absolute), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘when (it was) said’

• तु: then/but
• तु: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra
• रुद्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental/करण)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ते: those (they)
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पप्रच्छुः: they asked
• पप्रच्छुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शङ्करम् इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• मोह: delusion
• मोह: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• शास्त्र: treatise/doctrine
• शास्त्र: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासमध्यपद)

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose
• प्रयोजनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘purpose of the delusion-doctrine’)

Speaker

Narrator (frame address to the king); sages as interlocutors

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sanskrit Philology
• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava Narrative Interface

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative technique: sages request clarification on a technical doctrinal term, indicating a didactic setting where competing or strategic teachings (here, ‘Moha-śāstra’) are explained within a broader dharma discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily a dialogue transition focused on doctrinal inquiry.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse models an epistemic ethic: authoritative claims should be questioned and clarified through learned inquiry, especially when teachings involve ‘moha’ (delusion) or potentially misleading doctrine.