Varaha Purana 97.2: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 2

The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणा तु यदा सृष्टः पूर्वं रुद्रो वरानने ॥ तृतीये जन्मनि विभुः पिङ्गाक्षो नीललोहितः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 97.2

Transliteration

brahmaṇā tu yadā sṛṣṭaḥ pūrvaṃ rudro varānane || tṛtīye janmani vibhuḥ piṅgākṣo nīlalohitaḥ ||

Translation

হে সুন্দৰ-মুখী, ব্ৰহ্মাই যেতিয়া প্ৰথমে ৰুদ্ৰক সৃষ্টি কৰিলে, তৃতীয় জন্মত সেই বিভু পিঙ্গাক্ষ—‘নীললোহিত’ (নীলা আৰু ৰঙা) ৰূপে প্ৰকাশ পালে।

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Word by Word

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karana (करण/Instrument—agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-तृतीया (by Brahmā/Brahman)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• yadā: when
• yadā: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb): when

• sṛṣṭaḥ: was created
• sṛṣṭaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु) → sṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was created’

• pūrvam: at first
• pūrvam: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly/at first)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + ānana (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• tṛtīye: in the third
• tṛtīye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (in the third)

• janmani: birth
• janmani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• vibhuḥ: the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणार्थे अपि (mighty one)

• piṅgākṣaḥ: tawny-eyed
• piṅgākṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piṅga + akṣa (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—पिङ्गे अक्षिणी यस्य (one whose eyes are tawny)

• nīlalohitaḥ: blue-and-red (hued)
• nīlalohitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla + lohita (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (समाहार/इतरेतर)—नीलश्च लोहितश्च (blue and red-hued)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Mythology
• Iconographic Terminology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a layered mythic account of Rudra’s manifestations, useful for comparing Rudra’s epithets (e.g., Nīlalohita) across Vedic and Purāṇic corpora.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named; the verse is concerned with cosmogonic and iconographic description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse functions as doctrinal narrative establishing the identity and epithets of Rudra.