Varaha Purana 16.22: Adhyaya 16, Shloka 22

The Account of Saramā: Indra’s Restoration after Loss of Sovereignty

Devanagari script

तस्याश्च मरुतो देवा देवेन्द्रेण निरूपिताः । गूढं गच्छत रक्षार्थं देवशून्या महाबलाः ॥ १६.२२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 16.22

Transliteration

tasyāś ca maruto devā devendreṇa nirūpitāḥ | gūḍhaṃ gacchata rakṣārthaṃ devaśūnyā mahābalāḥ || 16.22 ||

Translation

Und die Marut-Gottheiten, von Devendra (Indra) bestimmt, sprachen: „Geht heimlich zum Schutz an den Ort, der jetzt der Götter entbehrt, o Gewaltige.“

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Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मरुतः: the Maruts
• मरुतः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; apposition to ‘मरुतः’

• देवेन्द्रेण: by Devendra (Indra)
• देवेन्द्रेण: करण (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; ‘by Devendra’

• निरूपिताः: were assigned
• निरूपिताः: कर्मणि-कर्तृभाव (Predicate participle of ‘मरुतः देवाः’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + रूप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle); Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘appointed/assigned’

• गूढम्: secretly
• गूढम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative): ‘secretly, in concealment’

• गच्छत: go
• गच्छत: आज्ञार्थ-क्रिया (Imperative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/प्रयोजनवाचक: ‘for the sake of protection’

• देवशून्याः: devoid of gods
• देवशून्याः: कर्म/अधिकरण-विशेषण (Qualifier; contextual)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘devoid of gods’; qualifies an implied feminine plural noun (e.g., दिशः/प्रदेशाः/स्थलानि) or used substantively ‘places devoid of gods’

• महाबलाः: mighty/very strong
• महाबलाः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘great in strength’; qualifies ‘मरुतः देवाः’

Speaker

Varāha (default narrative voice; speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Indra and the Maruts

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative motif: divine administration and strategic protection (rakṣā) coordinated by Indra and the Maruts, illustrating how cosmic order is maintained through delegated guardianship.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit place-name appears in this verse; it refers generally to a domain described as “devaśūnyā” (devoid of gods), which may be clarified by surrounding verses in Adhyāya 16.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds protective responsibility (rakṣārthaṃ) and prudent strategy (gūḍham, “in secret”) as legitimate means for safeguarding a vulnerable realm.