Varaha Purana 13.33: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 33

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmological Genealogies and Classifications (Gaṇa/Varṇa Enumeration)

Devanagari script

वस्वादीनां कश्यपाद्या वर्णानां वसवोदयः । अविशेषेण विज्ञेया गन्धर्वाद्या अपि ध्रुवम् ॥ १३.३३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.33

Transliteration

vasvādīnāṃ kaśyapādyā varṇānāṃ vasavādayaḥ | aviśeṣeṇa vijñeyā gandharvādyā api dhruvam || 13.33 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

في الجماعات التي تبتدئ بالڤاسو (Vasu)، وفي الأصناف التي تبتدئ بكاشيابا (Kaśyapa)، ينبغي أن تُعرَف الڤاسو وسائرهم بلا تمييز؛ وكذلك الغندرفا (Gandharva) ومن يتصل بهم من الكائنات—حقًّا.

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Word by Word

• vasvādīnām: of (groups) beginning with the Vasus
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; tatpuruṣa: vasūnām ādiḥ yeṣām = ‘of those beginning with the Vasus’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: vasu + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)

• kaśyapādyāḥ: (those) beginning with Kaśyapa
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; ‘those beginning with Kaśyapa’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: kaśyapa + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)

• varṇānām: of the classes/categories
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)

• vasu-vādayaḥ: the Vasus and others
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; tatpuruṣa: vasavaḥ ādayaḥ = ‘the Vasus and others’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: vasu + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)

• aviśeṣeṇa: without distinction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; used adverbially (भावे तृतीया) = ‘without distinction’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Root: aviśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)

• vijñeyāḥ: should be understood
• Type: Verb
• Form: Kṛdanta: Gerundive/Passive future participle (तव्य/अनीयर्), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘to be known/should be understood’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Root: jñā (धातु)

• gandharvādyāḥ: Gandharvas and others
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; ‘Gandharvas and others’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: gandharva + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)

• api: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: api (अव्यय)

• dhruvam: certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; used adverbially = ‘certainly’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• vasu-vādayaḥ normalized from vasavādayaḥ (vasavaḥ + ādayaḥ)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Cosmic/genealogical register

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

What she asks

How are the various divine and semi-divine classes (Vasus, Kaśyapa-lineages, Gandharvas, etc.) to be classified and distinguished within cosmic genealogy?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Cosmological taxonomy

Subjects

CosmologyGenealogyMythic Taxonomy

Core idea

Many named classes of beings are to be understood as functionally non-distinct within broader groupings in creation narratives.

In practice

Read genealogies as schematic (uddeśa) frameworks—useful for orientation, not for sectarian or literalistic over-differentiation.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Indic Cosmology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic method of organizing mythic beings into enumerated classes (gaṇas/varṇas), supporting the text’s broader encyclopedic and classificatory aims typical of early medieval Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the content is taxonomic (classification of beings) rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily conveys a classificatory principle—understanding certain groups 'without distinction' (aviśeṣeṇa)—rather than a direct ethical mandate; it emphasizes systematic recognition of categories within the cosmological framework.