Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 20

Varāha-avatāra: The Boar Incarnation Lifts the Earth and Slays Hiraṇyākṣa

Devanagari script

मरीचिप्रमुखैर्विप्रै: कुमारैर्मनुना सह । हृष्ट्वा तत्सौकरं रूपं तर्कयामास चित्रधा ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

marīci-pramukhair vipraiḥ kumārair manunā saha dṛṣṭvā tat saukaraṁ rūpaṁ tarkayām āsa citradhā

Translation

Brahmā begann, zusammen mit großen Brāhmaṇas wie Marīci sowie den Kumāras und Manu, beim Anblick jener wunderbaren Ebergestalt am Himmel voller Staunen auf vielfältige Weise zu erwägen und zu diskutieren.

Synonyms

• मरीचि-प्रमुखैः: by those headed by Marīci
• मरीचि-प्रमुखैः: Karana (करण/agent-instrument in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: मरीचिः प्रमुखः येषाम् (group headed by Marīci); Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• विप्रैः: by the brāhmaṇas/sages
• विप्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• कुमारैः: by the Kumāras
• कुमारैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; (the Kumāras)

• मनुना: by Manu
• मनुना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (सह-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable (सह), ‘together with’; governs instrumental (तृतीया)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), from धातु दृश्; prior action

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun used adjectivally; Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies सौकरम्/रूपम्

• सौकरम्: boar-like
• सौकरम्: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; ‘boar-like’

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• तर्कयामास: pondered/considered
• तर्कयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तर्क् (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-परस्मैपद, आम्-प्रत्यययुक्त: तर्कयाम् + आस), 3rd person, Singular

• चित्रधा: in many ways
• चित्रधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित्रधा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), indeclinable; ‘in various ways’

Characters & Entities

• Marīci
• Kumāras
• Manu
• Brahmā
• Lord Varāha

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about Lord Varaha’s appearance in Canto 3?

This verse describes how Brahmā, along with sages like Marīci, the Kumāras, and Manu, joyfully saw the Lord’s boar form and contemplated its wondrous meaning—introducing the Varāha avatāra narrative of divine protection.

Why did Brahma reflect on the boar form of the Lord?

Because the boar-like form was extraordinary and divine; seeing it, Brahmā and the assembled sages tried to understand its purpose and significance within the unfolding līlā of the Lord’s intervention in creation.

Practical application of this shloka in modern life?

When life presents unexpected turns, this verse encourages thoughtful contemplation with faith—recognizing that divine purpose can operate through surprising forms and events.