Varaha Purana 113.40: Adhyaya 113, Shloka 40

Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry

Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue

Devanagari script

पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापोज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम्॥ शब्दस्पर्शस्वरूपोऽसि रसो गन्धोऽसि नो भवान्

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 113.40

Transliteration

pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo jyotiś ca pañcamam || śabda-sparśa-svarūpo 'si raso gandho 'si no bhavān

Translation

Du bist Erde, Wind, Äther, Wasser und als Fünftes das Licht. Du bist von der Natur des Klanges und der Berührung; für uns bist du Geschmack und Duft.

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Word by Word

• पृथिवी: earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आकाशम्: space/ether
• आकाशम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (सूच्यते—समुच्चय-गणना)

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (आपः), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (pluralia tantum)

• ज्योतिः: light/fire
• ज्योतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• शब्द-स्पर्श-स्वरूपः: the very nature of sound and touch
• शब्द-स्पर्श-स्वरूपः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘शब्दस्य स्पर्शस्य च स्वरूपः’

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रसः: taste/essence
• रसः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गन्धः: smell/fragrance
• गन्धः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• भवान्: you (honored one)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun)

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework; hymn-like address to Varāha/Viṣṇu)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a widely shared classical Indian cosmology that organizes matter into five elements (pañcabhūta) and associates them with sensory qualities, a framework seen across Purāṇic and philosophical literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the focus is elemental cosmology rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it frames the cosmos as an integrated whole, encouraging a worldview of interdependence that can support environmental stewardship without prescribing a specific rule.