Varaha Purana 98.3: Adhyaya 98, Shloka 3

Chapter on the Sacred Hill Episode: Satyatapā and the Marvel of Varāha

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogue: Inquiry and Instruction (Sacred Geography & Exempla)

Devanagari script

कीदृशं तन्ममाचक्ष्व महत्कौतूहलं विभो ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ स हि सत्यतपा पूर्वं भृगुवंशोद्भवो द्विजः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 98.3

Transliteration

kīdṛśaṃ tan mamācakṣva mahat kautūhalaṃ vibho || śrīvarāha uvāca || sa hi satyatapā pūrvaṃ bhṛguvaṃśodbhavo dvijaḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

«فصِفْه لي: إنّ في نفسي فضولًا عظيمًا، يا ربّ.» قال شري فاراها: «فإنّ ساتياتابا كان من قبلُ براهمنًا مولودًا في سلالة بهريغو.»

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Word by Word

• kīdṛśam: what kind (of)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); interrogative adjective
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: kīdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• mama: to me/of me
• Type: Noun
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); 1st person pronoun
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ācakṣva: tell/explain
• Type: Verb
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: cakṣ (धातु)

• mahat: great
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies kautūhalam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)

• kautūhalam: curiosity/wonder
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)

• vibho: O Lord/mighty one
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)

• śrī-varāhaḥ: Lord Varāha
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (śrīmān varāhaḥ) honorific epithet
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)

• uvāca: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: vac (धातु)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (निपात); emphasis/indeed (निश्चयार्थक)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: hi (अव्यय)

• satyatapāḥ: Satyatapā
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: satyatapā (प्रातिपदिक)

• pūrvam: formerly/before
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)

• bhṛgu-vaṃśa-udbhavaḥ: born in Bhṛgu’s lineage
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘born from the lineage of Bhṛgu’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)

• dvijaḥ: a Brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• tan mamācakṣva = tat mama ācakṣva
• mahatkautūhalam = mahat kautūhalam
• śrīvarāha = śrī-varāha
• bhṛgūvaṃśodbhavaḥ = bhṛgu-vaṃśa-udbhavaḥ

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Sacred mountain; genealogical tradition

Speaker

Varāha (Instructor); Pṛthivī (Inquirer) in first half

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious (kautūhala), receptive

What she asks

What is the nature of that great marvel on Himavant?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics via origin-story (saṃskāra and saṅga)

Subjects

EthicsGenealogyHeritage Sites

Core idea

A person’s present condition is intelligible through prior saṃskāras and associations; noble lineage does not prevent later fall, nor does fall prevent restoration.

In practice

Do not rely on birth alone; seek instruction and cultivate sādhusaṅga to stabilize dharma.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Varāha responds as instructor to Bhū-devī’s curiosity, continuing the dialogue.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Lineage Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It shows a typical Purāṇic dialogic method: a question framed as intellectual curiosity (kautūhala) followed by authoritative narration, including lineage markers used for cultural memory and legitimization.

Which geographic location is identified?

No new location is named here; the verse pivots from place-based curiosity to the protagonist’s genealogical identity.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse models inquiry as a legitimate path to understanding, and frames personal history (lineage and former status) as relevant for evaluating conduct and transformation.