Varaha Purana 13.9: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 9

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । एतदेव महत्कृत्यं यत्सतां सङ्गमो भवेत् । यत्तु सान्देहिकं कार्यं तत्पृच्छस्व महामुने ॥ १३.९ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 13.9

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | etad eva mahatkṛtyaṁ yat satāṁ saṅgamo bhavet | yat tu sāndehikaṁ kāryaṁ tat pṛcchasva mahāmune || 13.9 ||

Translation

مارکنڈےیہ نے کہا: نیک لوگوں کی صحبت پانا ہی بڑا پُنّیہ کام ہے۔ اور جو بات مشتبہ ہو، اے مہامنی، اسی کے بارے میں پوچھو۔

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Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उवाच-कर्ता)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• mahat-kṛtyam: a great duty/act
• mahat-kṛtyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘mahat kṛtyam’

• yat: which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• satām: of the good (people)
• satām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (सत्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.)/साधुजन-वाचक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (pl.)

• saṅgamaḥ: meeting/association
• saṅgamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhavet: may be/is to be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• yat: whatever/which
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual), एकवचन

• tu: but/and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• sāndehikam: doubtful/uncertain
• sāndehikam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāndehika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (kāryam-विशेषण)

• kāryam: a matter to be done / duty
• kāryam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pṛcchasva: ask (you)
• pṛcchasva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (प्रच्छ्, धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• mahā-mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘mahān muniḥ’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Sanskrit Philology
• Ethical Instruction

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic pedagogy: knowledge is framed through respectful dialogue, emphasizing learned association (sat-saṅga) and inquiry as a legitimate method of resolving uncertainty.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is ethical and instructional rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse highlights two principles: the value of associating with the virtuous and the importance of asking questions to clarify doubts rather than acting on uncertainty.