Varaha Purana 2.34: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 34

Cosmogony and the Ninefold Creation: Rudra’s Origin and the Prelude to the Sāvitrī–Veda Narrative

Devanagari script

ते च प्रकाशबहुलास्तमोद्रिक्ता रजोधिकाः । तस्मात् तु दुःखः बहुला भूयोभूयश्च कारिणः ॥ २.३३ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 2.34

Transliteration

te ca prakāśa-bahulās tamo-driktā rajo-dhikāḥ | tasmāt tu duḥkhaḥ bahulā bhūyo-bhūyaś ca kāriṇaḥ || 2.33 ||

Translation

Und jene Zustände sind reich an Licht, doch mit Dunkelheit vermischt und von rajas beherrscht; daher bringen sie in großem Maße Leid hervor, immer wieder.

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Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• प्रकाशबहुलाः: abounding in light
• प्रकाशबहुलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकाश + बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रकाशे बहुलाः)

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• द्रिक्ता: overcome/covered (by)
• द्रिक्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रिक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; (पाठभेद: द्रिक्ता/दृक्ता = आक्रान्त/आवृत)

• रजः: passion / activity (rajas)
• रजः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अधिकाः: predominant / excessive
• अधिकाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तस्मात्: therefore / from that
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात

• दुःखाः: sufferings
• दुःखाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• बहुलाः: many / abundant
• बहुलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• भूयः: again / more
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनः/अधिकम्-अर्थे (again/more)

• भूयः: again and again
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनः/अधिकम्-अर्थे; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (bhūyo-bhūyaḥ)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• कारिणः: doers / causing (it)
• कारिणः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (कर्तृवाचक)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sāṃkhya Terminology
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects the Purāṇic adoption of Sāṃkhya-style guṇa vocabulary (sattva/rajas/tamas) to explain experiential outcomes such as duḥkha, illustrating philosophical synthesis in early medieval Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a conceptual statement about guṇas and their effects.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse presents a diagnostic principle: when rajas predominates and tamas is mixed in, recurring suffering increases—implying that cultivating clarity (prakāśa/sattva) and reducing agitation (rajas) and obscuration (tamas) supports well-being.