Varaha Purana 19.3: Adhyaya 19, Shloka 3

The Glory of Lunar Days: The Pratipadā Observance and the Merit of Hearing Agni’s Origin

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । देवानामथ यक्षाणां गन्धर्वाणां च सत्तम । आदौ प्रतिपदा येन त्वमुत्पन्नोऽसि पावक ॥ १९.३ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 19.3

Transliteration

brahmovāca | devānām atha yakṣāṇāṁ gandharvāṇāṁ ca sattama | ādau pratipadā yena tvam utpanno ’si pāvaka || 19.3 ||

Translation

قال براهما: «يا خيرَ من بين الدِّيوات والياكشا والگندهرفا، أخبرني عن البدء الأوّل الذي به وُجدتَ أنتَ، يا پاڤَكا (النار).»

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Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय); conjunction/particle (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थ)

• यक्षाणाम्: of the Yakṣas
• यक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• गन्धर्वाणाम्: of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय); conjunction (समुच्चय)

• सत्तम: O best (one)
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); superlative used as address

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय); locative used adverbially (सप्तमी-अर्थे अव्यय): ‘in the beginning’

• प्रतिपदा: Pratipadā (the first lunar day)
• प्रतिपदा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 2nd person pronoun, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• उत्पन्नः: born/arisen
• उत्पन्नः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्पन्न (कृदन्त; √पद्/√पन् with उत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicative ‘born/arisen’

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• पावक: O Pāvaka (Fire)
• पावक: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Sanskrit Philology
• Indic Mythography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic method of framing cosmological knowledge through dialogue, cataloguing divine classes (Devas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas) and asking for an origin-account (utpatti) of a key cosmic principle—Agni/Fire.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is on cosmological origins and divine taxonomy rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct moral injunction, the verse models an epistemic discipline: inquiry into origins and causes as a way to structure knowledge about cosmic order.