váram (am), ind. (g. svar-ādi) preferably, rather, better (also = preferable, sometimes with abl. which in Veda is often followed by ā, e.g. agníbhyo váram, ‘better than fires’, [RV.]; sákhibhya ā́ váram, ‘better than companions’, [ib.]; exceptionally with acc., e.g. śiṣyaiḥ śata-hutān homān, ekaḥ putra-huto varam, ‘better one sacrifice offered by a son than a hundred offered by disciples’, [ṢaḍvBr.]), [RV.] &c. &c.
váram ind. it is better that, it would be best if (with pres., e.g. varaṃ gacchāmi, ‘it is better that I go’; or with Impv., e.g. varaṃ naye sthāpyatām, ‘it would be better if he were initiated into our plan’, [Kathās.]; or without any verb, e.g. varaṃ siṃhāt, ‘better [death caused] by a lion’, [Pañcat.]; sometimes with Pot., e.g. varaṃ tat kuryāt, ‘better that he should do that’, [Kām.]), [Kāv.]; [Kathās.] &c.
it is better than, rather than (in these senses is followed by na, na ca, na tu, na punaḥ, tad api na or tathāpi na, with nom., e.g. varaṃ mṛtyur nacākīrtiḥ, ‘better death than [lit. ‘and not’] infamy’; exceptionally with instr., e.g. varam eko guṇī putro na ca mūrkha-śatair api, ‘better one virtuous son than hundreds of fools’, [Hit.]; na hi-varam, ‘by no mean — but rather’), [Mn.]; [MBh.] &c.