Varaha Purana 8.37: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 37

Dialogue on the Ethical Limits of Subsistence and the Five Great Sacrifices

Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna

Devanagari script

मत्सुता जीवघातस्य यदोढा त्वत्सुतेन च । तन्महत्त्वं च संजातं प्रायश्चित्तं तपोधन ॥ ८.३७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 8.37

Transliteration

matsutā jīvaghātasya yadodhā tvatsutena ca | tanmahattvaṃ ca saṃjātaṃ prāyaścittaṃ tapodhana || 8.37 ||

Translation

โอ้ผู้มั่งคั่งด้วยตบะ (ตโปธนะ) เมื่อการฆ่าสัตว์มีชีวิตเกี่ยวเนื่องกับปลา และเกี่ยวเนื่องกับบุตรของท่านด้วย ความหนักหน่วงย่อมปรากฏ; เพราะฉะนั้นจึงชี้ไปสู่การทำปรாயัศจิตตะ (การชดใช้บาป)

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Word by Word

• मत्सुता: my daughter
• मत्सुता: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्-सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम सुता = my daughter)

• जीवघातस्य: of the killing of creatures
• जीवघातस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव-घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जीवानां घातः = killing of beings)

• यदा: when
• यदा: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ऊढा: was married
• ऊढा: क्रिया-विशेष (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used predicatively (married)

• त्वत्सुतेन: to/with your son
• त्वत्सुतेन: करण/सह (Instrumental—by/with; spouse)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत्-सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तव सुतः = your son)

• च: and
• च: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महत्त्वम्: greatness/importance
• महत्त्वम्: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicate in equational sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• संजातम्: has arisen/occurred
• संजातम्: क्रिया (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicative (has arisen)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: atonement/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: विधेय/सम्बन्ध (Predicate/appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition/explanation to महत्त्वम्

• तपोधन: O ascetic rich in austerity
• तपोधन: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तपः एव धनं यस्य/तपसा धनवान्—vocative epithet)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not stated in the excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharmaśāstra Interface

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic integration of ethical discourse (harm to living beings) with the broader South Asian prāyaścitta tradition, where textual communities cataloged moral transgressions and corresponding remedial rites.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is ethical-ritual (jīvaghāta and prāyaścitta) rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse highlights the seriousness of harming living beings and signals that such an act calls for expiation (prāyaścitta), presenting accountability as a key philosophical instruction.