Varaha Purana 97.20: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

पुनरब्दद्वयं भ्रान्तस्तीर्थे तीर्थे हरः स्वयम्॥ कपालं त्यक्तुकामः सन् तद्धस्तात्तत्तु नापतत्॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 97.20

Transliteration

punar abda-dvayaṃ bhrāntas tīrthe tīrthe haraḥ svayam || kapālaṃ tyaktukāmaḥ san tad-dhastāt tat tu nāpatat ||

Translation

ต่อมาอีกสองปี พระหระเองพเนจรจากทีรถะสู่ทีรถะ แม้ปรารถนาจะสลัดกะโหลกทิ้ง แต่มันก็มิได้หลุดจากพระหัตถ์

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Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अब्दद्वयम्: two years
• अब्दद्वयम्: कर्म/कालाधिकरण (Karma as extent of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (Dvigu compound: numeral + noun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कालपरिमाणम्

• भ्रान्तः: having wandered
• भ्रान्तः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भ्रम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past active participle/क्त), √भ्रम् (भ्रम् धातु), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; हरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थे: at (each) sacred place
• तीर्थे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition) सूचयति—‘from one tīrtha to another’

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मनः एव (emphatic/reflexive adverb)

• कपालम्: skull
• कपालम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्तुकामः: desiring to abandon
• त्यक्तुकामः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्तुम् (तुमुनन्त; √त्यज् धातु) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Infinitive + kāma: ‘desirous to ...’), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; हरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सन्: being
• सन्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अस् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), √अस् (अस् धातु), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being’ (concessive/attendant circumstance)

• तद्: of that
• तद्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; हस्तात् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हस्तात्: from (his) hand
• हस्तात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• तत्: that (skull)
• तत्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कपालम् इत्यर्थे

• तु: however
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• अपतत्: fell
• अपतत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (पत् धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa
• Ancient Pilgrimage
• Śaiva Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic structure where sacred geography is mapped through itinerant movement, providing a literary lens on how tīrthas were conceptually networked.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse uses the generic expression 'tīrtha to tīrtha' rather than naming a specific site; named locations appear later in the sequence.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It emphasizes persistence and the limits of personal will—desire alone does not remove a burden; resolution is depicted as requiring an appropriate place/time or condition.