Varaha Purana 207.2: Adhyaya 207, Shloka 2

Section on the ‘Person’ who Entices Beings within the Cycle of Rebirth

Uttara Bhāga · Saṃsāra-cakra narrative transmission

Devanagari script

तथा च पृच्छतस्तस्य पुरावृत्तं महात्मनः ॥ आख्यानं कथयामास यदुक्तं चित्रभानुना ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 207.2

Transliteration

tathā ca pṛcchatas tasya purāvṛttaṃ mahātmanaḥ || ākhyānaṃ kathayāmāsa yad uktaṃ citrabhānunā

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ولما سُئِل عن ذلك، قصَّ الخبرَ القديم المتعلّق بتلك النفس العظيمة: الحكاية كما نطق بها تشِترابهانو.

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Word by Word

• tathā: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (तद्वत्/एवम्)
• Role: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• pṛcchataḥ: of (him) who was asking
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/कृत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन); ‘of (him) asking’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: pṛcch (धातु)

• tasya: of him
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• purā-vṛttam: the ancient event/what happened before
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुषसदृशः—पुरा वृत्तम् (that which happened formerly)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: purā (अव्यय) + vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)

• mahā-ātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः—महान् आत्मा यस्य (great-souled)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)

• ākhyānam: the narrative
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)

• kathayāmāsa: narrated/told
• Type: Verb
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-परस्मैपद, आम्-प्रत्यययुक्त), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन); causative stem kathaya-
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: kathaya (णिजन्त from kath/kathe?) (धातु)

• yat: which/that
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• uktam: said/spoken
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) Nominative/Accusative Singular (प्रथमा/द्वितीया); agrees with yat
• Role: Kriya (क्रियाविशेष/भाव)
• Root: vac (धातु)

• citrabhānunā: by Citrabhānu
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: citrabhānu (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• purāvṛttaṃ analyzed as purā-vṛttam

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Narrative frame

Speaker

Ṛṣiputra

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemology / śruti-smṛti transmission

Subjects

Narrative framingTransmissionEthics (contextual)

Core idea

Dharma-knowledge is preserved through disciplined narration, questioning, and faithful attribution to prior speakers.

In practice

When teaching or citing dharma-kathā, preserve provenance (who said it) and respond to sincere inquiry rather than idle display.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Textual Transmission
• Narrative Attribution

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It shows layered narration (a story reported through multiple speakers), a hallmark of Purāṇic composition and a key feature for philological indexing.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is mentioned in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily sets up authority and provenance of the narrative, preparing the reader for ethical-philosophical content to follow.