Varaha Purana 97.18: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 18

The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow

Pūrva Bhāga · Śiva’s Kapāla-vrata and Ascetic Identity

Devanagari script

परिधानं तु कौपीनं नग्नः कापालिकोऽभवत् ॥ भ्रमतः परिधानं तु कौपीनं रशनागतम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 97.18

Transliteration

paridhānaṁ tu kaupīnaṁ nagnaḥ kāpāliko 'bhavat || bhramataḥ paridhānaṁ tu kaupīnaṁ raśanāgatam ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

เครื่องนุ่งห่มของเขามีเพียงเกาปีนะ (ผ้าขาวม้า/ผ้าคาดเอว) เท่านั้น; เมื่อเปลือยกายเขากลายเป็นกาปาลิกะ ครั้นเที่ยวเร่ร่อน ผ้าคาดเอวนั้น—ซึ่งเป็นอาภรณ์ของเขา—ก็ผูกติดด้วยเชือกที่บั้นเอว

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Word by Word

• परिधानम्: garment, clothing
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र विधेय/उपपद (predicate/apposition)
• Role: Visheshya (विशेष्य/विधेय)
• Root: परिधान (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• कौपीनम्: loincloth
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिधानस्य विशेषण/समानााधिकरण (loincloth as the garment)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: कौपीन (प्रातिपदिक)

• नग्नः: naked
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (nom. sg. m.)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)

• कापालिकः: a Kāpālika ascetic
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभवत्: became
• Type: Verb
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: भू (धातु)

• भ्रमतः: while wandering / of the wanderer
• Type: Verb
• Form: शतृ/शानच् कृदन्तस्य षष्ठी-एकवचन (gen. sg.) ‘भ्रमतः’ = ‘भ्रमन्’ (while wandering / of one who is wandering)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)

• परिधानम्: garment
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (the garment)
• Role: Visheshya (विशेष्य/विधेय)
• Root: परिधान (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निपात
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• कौपीनम्: loincloth
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: कौपीन (प्रातिपदिक)

• रशनागतम्: reaching the waist-cord / caught at the waist
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘आगत’ (ppp) with तत्पुरुष: ‘रशनां प्रति/रशनायाम् आगतम्’ = come to/ended up at the waist-cord
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: रशना-आगत (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• कापालिकोऽभवत् → कापालिकः अभवत् (ः + अ → ’)
• गोदामुत्तरे handled earlier. रशनागतम् = रशना + आगतम् (आ + गम्, क्त)

Speaker and setting

Bibhatsa and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Narrator

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Vairāgya and identity-stripping

Subjects

EthicsRitual CultureMaterial Heritage

Core idea

External identity (clothing/status) is reduced to near-zero; the narrative foregrounds impermanence and the ascetic’s deliberate marginality.

In practice

Read as a caution and a mirror: practice simplicity without hypocrisy; distinguish inner detachment from mere external display.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ascetic Traditions
• Śaiva Traditions
• Purāṇic Narrative

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It records terminology (kāpālika, kaupīna) relevant to the history of ascetic orders and their representation in Sanskrit narrative sources.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific location is named; the verse describes an ascetic condition “while wandering.”

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse underscores austerity and restraint as part of a self-corrective regimen, presented descriptively rather than as universal prescription.