Varaha Purana 95.10: Adhyaya 95, Shloka 10

The Slaying of the Daitya Ruru, the Hymn to Cāmuṇḍā/Kālarātri, and the Doctrine of the Threefold Power

Devanagari script

औद्री तपोरता देवी तामसी शक्तिरुत्तमा । संहारकारिणी देवी कालरात्रीति तां विदुः ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 95.10

Transliteration

audrī taporatā devī tāmasī śaktir uttamā | saṃhārakāriṇī devī kālarātrīti tāṃ viduḥ ||

Translation

الإلهةُ—شديدةُ الطبع، مواظبةٌ على التَّقشّف (تَبَس)، وهي القوّةُ العُليا للظلمة (تامَسِي)—الإلهةُ التي تُحدِثُ الفناءَ: تُعرَفُ باسم كَالارَاتْرِي.

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Word by Word

• औद्री: fierce / Rudra-like
• औद्री: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of देवी
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवी इति विशेष्ये (feminine, nominative singular)

• तपोरता: devoted to austerity
• तपोरता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of देवी
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तपसि रता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवी इति विशेष्ये (feminine, nominative singular)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता) / subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• तामसी: dark / of tamas
• तामसी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of शक्तिः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक्तिः इति विशेष्ये (feminine, nominative singular)

• शक्तिः: power / energy
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता) / apposition to देवी
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• उत्तमा: supreme
• उत्तमा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of शक्तिः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक्तिः इति विशेष्ये (feminine, nominative singular)

• संहारकारिणी: causing destruction
• संहारकारिणी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of देवी
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संहार + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (संहारं करोति इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवी इति विशेष्ये (feminine, nominative singular)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता) / subject (re-stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• कालरात्रि: Kālarātri
• कालरात्रि: Karma (कर्म) of विदुः (as designation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कालस्य रात्रिः / कालरूपा रात्रिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular; name)

• इति: thus / as
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरणचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक (quotative particle)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म) of विदुः
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular pronoun)

• विदुः: know / call
• विदुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (विद् धातु) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, perfect, parasmaipada)

Speaker

Narrator (default framework: Varāha → Pṛthivī; not explicit in verse)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"shakta-cosmology","core_concept":"The same Divine Power that sustains also dissolves; tamas here is not mere inertia but the supreme śakti that ends cycles (saṃhāra) to enable renewal.","practical_application":"Reframe endings and losses as part of cosmic rhythm; cultivate tapas and discernment to meet ‘dark’ phases without collapse."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Cosmology","Ethics","Cultural Heritage"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: devī-sthāna / mountain abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 95.95.19 (Devī speaks as protector)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fierce, ascetic Goddess—dark-hued, radiant with inner power—embodying dissolution; her presence is both terrifying and protective.","item_prompts":["dark/blue-black complexion","austere posture (tapas)","weapons or skull/khadga motifs (optional, per tradition)","halo of fierce radiance","night-like backdrop"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Kālārātrī with large expressive eyes, dark body tone, ornate yet fierce ornaments; stylized flames/aura; balanced symmetry despite ferocity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: iconic frontal Devī with gold halo and heavy jewelry; deep dark pigments contrasted with gold; symbolic weapons; throne or mountain pedestal.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant fierce Devī, controlled expression, detailed ornamentation; subtle chiaroscuro to suggest ‘tāmasī śakti’.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: dramatic night landscape, Devī as central figure with minimal but potent iconographic cues; emphasis on mood and narrative clarity."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"awe-struck, solemn, fierce","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow-medium","voice_tone":"grave and resonant, with weight on 'तामसी शक्तिरुत्तमा' and 'कालरात्री'"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Śākta Theology (descriptive)
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Lexicography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The verse preserves a theonym (Kālārātrī) and a cluster of epithets that show how Purāṇic literature systematizes divine functions—especially dissolution and protection—through compact Sanskrit descriptors.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct moral rule, it conveys a philosophical idea: destructive force can be conceptualized as a necessary, ordered power within cyclical cosmology.