Varaha Purana 8.22: Adhyaya 8, Shloka 22

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

Dharmavyādha, Mātaṅga, and Prasanna

Devanagari script

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवमुक्ते मतङ्गेन शूर्पं गोधूमपूरितम् । अपरं तत्र व्रीहीणां धर्मव्याधाय दर्शितम् ॥ ८.२२ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 8.22

Transliteration

śrīvarāha uvāca | evamukte mataṅgena śūrpaṃ godhūmapūritam | aparaṃ tatra vrīhīṇāṃ dharmavyādhāya darśitam || 8.22 ||

Translation

شری وراہ نے کہا: جب متنگ نے ایسا کہا، تو دھرم ویا دھا کو گندم سے بھرا ہوا ایک چھاج اور چاول کا دوسرا چھاج دکھایا گیا۔

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Word by Word

• श्री-वराहः: Śrī Varāha
• श्री-वराहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् वराहः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• उक्ते: when (it was) said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; वच्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• मतङ्गेन: by Matanga
• मतङ्गेन: Kartr-karana (कर्तृ-करण/Agent in locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शूर्पम्: a winnowing basket
• शूर्पम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• गोधूम-पूरितम्: filled with wheat
• गोधूम-पूरितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोधूम + पूरित (कृदन्त; पूर्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (गोधूमैः/गोधूमस्य पूरितम्)

• अपरम्: another (one)
• अपरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• व्रीहीणाम्: of rice grains
• व्रीहीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रीहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• धर्म-व्याधाय: to the righteous hunter
• धर्म-व्याधाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + व्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (धर्मिष्ठः व्याधः)

• दर्शितम्: was shown
• दर्शितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दर्शित (कृदन्त; दृश्/दर्शय्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharma Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a didactic narrative pattern common in Purāṇic literature, where moral exemplars are introduced through concrete, everyday objects (here, staple grains) to frame ethical instruction within ordinary social life.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse; it focuses on a narrative action (displaying wheat and rice) connected to the figures Mataṅga and Dharma-vyādha.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse itself presents the narrative setup rather than an explicit maxim; it foregrounds a teaching context in which material offerings or demonstrations (wheat and rice) support an ensuing discussion of dharma (ethical conduct).