varam | वरम् | varam
va/ram | व/रम् | (am | अम् |), ind. (g. svar-ādi | स्वर्-आदि |) preferably, rather, better (also = preferable, sometimes with abl. which in Veda is often followed by A, e.g. agni/Byo va/ram | अग्नि/Bयो व/रम् |, ‘better than fires’, RV.; sa/KiBya ā/ va/ram | स/KइBय आ/ व/रम् |, ‘better than companions’, ib.; exceptionally with acc., e.g. ṣiśyEḥ ṣata-hutān homān | षिश्य्Eः षत-हुतान् होमान् |, ekaḥ putra-huto varam | एकः पुत्र-हुतो वरम् |, ‘better one sacrifice offered by a son than a hundred offered by disciples’, ṢaḍvBr.), RV. &c. &c.
va/ram | व/रम् | ind. it is better that, it would be best if (with pres., e.g. varaṃ gacCāmi | वरं गच्Cआमि |, ‘it is better that I go’; or with Impv., e.g. varaṃ naye sṭāpyatām | वरं नये स्टाप्यताम् |, ‘it would be better if he were initiated into our plan’, Kathās.; or without any verb, e.g. varaṃ siṃhāt | वरं सिंहात् |, ‘better [death caused] by a lion’, Pañcat.; sometimes with Pot., e.g. varaṃ tat kuryāt | वरं तत् कुर्यात् |, ‘better that he should do that’, Kām.), Kāv.; Kathās. &c.
it is better than, rather than (in these senses varam | वरम् | is followed by na | न |, na ca | न च |, na tu | न तु |, na punaḥ | न पुनः |, tad api na | तद् अपि न | or taṭāpi na | तटापि न |, with nom., e.g. varaṃ mftyur nacākīrtiḥ | वरं म्फ़्त्युर् नचाकीर्तिः |, ‘better death than [lit. ‘and not’] infamy’; exceptionally with instr., e.g. varam eko guṛī putro na ca mūrKa-ṣatEr api | वरम् एको गुऋई पुत्रो न च मूर्Kअ-षत्Eर् अपि |, ‘better one virtuous son than hundreds of fools’, Hit.; na hi-varam | न हि-वरम् |, ‘by no mean — but rather’), Mn.; MBh. &c.
va/ram | व/रम् | ind. it is better that, it would be best if (with pres., e.g. varaṃ gacCāmi | वरं गच्Cआमि |, ‘it is better that I go’; or with Impv., e.g. varaṃ naye sṭāpyatām | वरं नये स्टाप्यताम् |, ‘it would be better if he were initiated into our plan’, Kathās.; or without any verb, e.g. varaṃ siṃhāt | वरं सिंहात् |, ‘better [death caused] by a lion’, Pañcat.; sometimes with Pot., e.g. varaṃ tat kuryāt | वरं तत् कुर्यात् |, ‘better that he should do that’, Kām.), Kāv.; Kathās. &c.
it is better than, rather than (in these senses varam | वरम् | is followed by na | न |, na ca | न च |, na tu | न तु |, na punaḥ | न पुनः |, tad api na | तद् अपि न | or taṭāpi na | तटापि न |, with nom., e.g. varaṃ mftyur nacākīrtiḥ | वरं म्फ़्त्युर् नचाकीर्तिः |, ‘better death than [lit. ‘and not’] infamy’; exceptionally with instr., e.g. varam eko guṛī putro na ca mūrKa-ṣatEr api | वरम् एको गुऋई पुत्रो न च मूर्Kअ-षत्Eर् अपि |, ‘better one virtuous son than hundreds of fools’, Hit.; na hi-varam | न हि-वरम् |, ‘by no mean — but rather’), Mn.; MBh. &c.