Varaha Purana 18.22: Adhyaya 18, Shloka 22

The Origin of Fire and the Liturgical Names of Agni

Devanagari script

तनुं पास्यतनुं पासि येन त्वं सर्वदा विभो । ततस्तनूनपान्नाम तव वत्स भविष्यति ॥ १८.२२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 18.22

Transliteration

tanuṃ pāsyatanuṃ pāsi yena tvaṃ sarvadā vibho | tatastanūnapānnāma tava vatsa bhaviṣyati || 18.22 ||

Translation

Du beschützt den Leib — ja, du beschützt das verkörperte Dasein — und dadurch bist du stets der allgegenwärtige Herr. Darum wird dein Kind den Namen Tanūnapāt tragen.

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Word by Word

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• पास्य: (will/should) protect
• पास्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) + स्य (कृदन्त/भविष्यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भविष्यत्कृदन्त (future participial/gerundive-like usage), अव्ययभावे/विशेषणवत्; ‘to be protected/that should be protected’ (context: ‘protect’)

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; repetition for emphasis

• पासि: you protect
• पासि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by which/whereby’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; pronoun

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb (कालवाचक)

• विभो: O all-pervading lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘therefore/then’

• तनूनपात्: Tanūnapāt (name/epithet)
• तनूनपात्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनू-नपात् (प्रातिपदिक); components: तनू + नपात्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘offspring/son of the body’ (epithet)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः ‘by name/namely’ (नामार्थक)

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन

• वत्स: son/child
• वत्स: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘child/son’

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogic framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic style of etymological naming (nāma-nirvacana), linking an epithet to a stated function—here, protection of embodied existence—illustrating how Purāṇas embed theological vocabulary within narrative dialogue.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse fragment; the content focuses on a divine epithet and protective function rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds the principle of protection (pālana)—valuing the safeguarding of embodied life—presented as a defining attribute that also motivates an honorific name.