Varaha Purana 121.1 — Adhyaya 121, Shloka 1

Avoidance of Rebirth in the Womb: Ethical Conduct and the Prevention of Degraded Rebirth

Devanagari script

अथ जन्माभावः ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ येन गर्भं न गच्छेत तच्छृणुष्व वसुन्धरे ॥ कथयिष्यामि ते ह्येवं सर्वधर्मविनिश्चयम् ॥

Transliteration

atha janmābhāvaḥ || śrīvarāha uvāca || yena garbhaṁ na gaccheta tac chṛṇuṣva vasundhare || kathayiṣyāmi te hyevaṁ sarvadharmaviniścayam

Translation

Nun (folgt das Thema) der Aufhebung der Wiedergeburt. Śrī Varāha sprach: Höre, o Vasundharā, wodurch man nicht wieder in den Schoß eingeht; so werde ich dir eine entscheidende Bestimmung über alle Dharmas darlegen.

Word by Word

• atha: now/then
• atha: Sambandha (प्रकरण-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable particle (अथ इति आरम्भ/अनन्तर सूचक)

• janma-abhāvaḥ: absence of birth (cessation of rebirth)
• janma-abhāvaḥ: Viṣaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक) + abhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa 'absence of birth' (topic heading)

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

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

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• garbham: womb/pregnancy
• garbham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध अव्यय)

• gacchet: would go/enter (i.e., become pregnant)
• gacchet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्/imperative), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada

• vasundhare: O Earth (Vasundharā)
• vasundhare: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• kathayiṣyāmi: I shall tell
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (धातु; denom. from kathā)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्/periphrastic future), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन); 2nd person pronoun

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic/causal particle (हेतु/निश्चयार्थक अव्यय)

• evam: thus/in this manner
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय)

• sarva-dharma-viniścayam: the determination/decision regarding all dharmas
• sarva-dharma-viniścayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + viniścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa chain: sarva-dharma (all dharmas) qualifying viniścaya (determination)

Speaker

Varāha

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Direct dialogue with Vasundharā: Varāha promises instruction on the means to avoid re-entry into the womb (mokṣa-oriented teaching)."}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"burdened yet hopeful; seeking liberation-knowledge for beings upon her","key_question":"What is the means by which one is freed from rebirth—so that one does not enter the womb again?"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None explicit; general Vaiṣṇava soteriology."}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Varāha, who once lifted Earth from the abyss, now ‘lifts’ the jīva from saṃsāra by dharma-viniścaya—rescue shifts from cosmic to existential.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"‘Sarva-dharma-viniścaya’ echoes yajña as ordered life; liberation is framed as the culmination of purified karma and knowledge, like the final offering into Brahman.","vedantic_connection":"Mokṣa as freedom from punarjanma; teaching implies sādhana-catuṣṭaya-like purification leading to liberating insight and/or bhakti-surrender."}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriology (mokṣa-śāstra)","core_concept":"There exists a knowable, teachable path that ends rebirth; dharma culminates in liberation.","practical_application":"Adopt the forthcoming dharma-determinations as a coherent life-path aimed at ending saṃsāra, not merely accruing merit."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Soteriology","Didactic Dialogue"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Secondary Rasa: karuṇa

Geographic Context

Type: None

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: section titled ‘janmābhāvaḥ’ continuing into ethical marks and practices (see 121.2.0–121.3.0)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Opening of a liberation-teaching: Varāha addresses Vasundharā with solemn assurance, announcing the topic ‘cessation of birth’ and promising a decisive exposition of dharma.","item_prompts":["Varāha speaking (upadeśa)","Bhū-devī as Vasundharā listening","title motif ‘janmābhāva’ on manuscript","cosmic backdrop (ocean/void) subtly recalling rescue","calm, luminous aura"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha seated as guru, Bhū-devī in respectful posture; muted cosmic blues/greens; manuscript with clear script; serene faces emphasizing śānta.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold halo and ornate throne; Bhū-devī with earth-toned sari; manuscript prominently displayed; background with stylized cosmic lotus.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant courtly composition; soft shading; Varāha’s compassionate authority; minimal props—manuscript and rosary.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate dialogue under a stylized tree or near a riverbank; delicate lines; emphasis on attentive listening and the promise of mokṣa."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave, contemplative, revelatory","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"deep, reassuring, teacherly"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Purāṇic Instruction

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It introduces a didactic unit framed as Varāha’s instruction to the Earth, a characteristic Purāṇic dialogic structure used to organize ethical and soteriological teaching.

Which geographic location is identified?

None explicitly; “Vasundharā” is a personified designation of the Earth rather than a specific site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To attend carefully to a systematic account of dharma aimed at reducing the causes of rebirth.