Varaha Purana 18.13: Adhyaya 18, Shloka 13

The Origin of Fire and the Liturgical Names of Agni

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्येन रूपेण सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः । चिन्तयन् नाधिगच्छेत सृष्टिं लोकपितामहः ॥ १८.१३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 18.13

Transliteration

prājāpatyena rūpeṇa sisṛkṣur vividhāḥ prajāḥ | cintayan nādhigaccheta sṛṣṭiṃ lokapitāmahaḥ || 18.13 ||

Translation

In der Gestalt des Prajāpati und im Wunsch, die vielfältigen Wesen zu erschaffen, gelangte der Lokapitāmaha — obgleich er nachsann — nicht zu (einer klaren Weise der) Schöpfung.

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Word by Word

• प्राजापत्येन: by/with the Prajāpati-like
• प्राजापत्येन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन; रूपेण सह विशेषणम्

• रूपेण: by (that) form
• रूपेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सिसृक्षुः: desiring to create
• सिसृक्षुः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + सन् (इच्छार्थक)
• Form: सन्नन्त-प्रातिपदिक (Desiderative participial base), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्रष्टुम् इच्छन्’ (desiring to create)

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; प्रजाः-विशेषणम्

• प्रजाः: creatures/subjects
• प्रजाः: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• चिन्तयन्: thinking
• चिन्तयन्: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्धसूचक (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अधिगच्छेत: would attain/understand
• अधिगच्छेत: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; नकारेण निषेधः

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: the grandsire of the world (Brahmā)
• लोकपितामहः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-पितामह (प्रातिपदिक; लोक + पितामह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Vaishnavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic cosmogonic motif in which the cosmic progenitor (Lokapitāmaha, commonly identified with Brahmā) pauses in deliberation, reflecting a layered creation-theology shared across early Sanskrit narrative traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it is framed as a cosmological episode rather than a tīrtha or regional description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds reflective deliberation before action—creation (or any major undertaking) is presented as requiring thoughtful clarity rather than impulsive execution.