Varaha Purana 21.54: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 54

The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share

Pūrva Bhāga · Pr̥thivī-uddhāra and Iconographic Description

Devanagari script

एकं खङ्गकरं तत्र तथान्यं दण्डधारिणम् । एकं कौस्तुभदीप्ताङ्गमन्यं भूतिविभूषितम् ॥ २१.५५ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.54

Transliteration

ekaṃ khaṅgakaraṃ tatra tathānyaṃ daṇḍadhāriṇam | ekaṃ kaustubhadīptāṅgam anyaṃ bhūtivibhūṣitam || 21.55 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Dort hielt eine (Gestalt) ein Schwert; ebenso trug eine andere einen Stab (daṇḍa). Eine hatte einen Leib, der durch das Kaustubha-Juwel erstrahlte; eine andere war mit heiliger Asche (vibhūti) geschmückt.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• ekam: one (of them)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; “one (of them)”
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: eka (एक प्रातिपदिक)

• khaṅga-karam: holding a sword
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष—“having a sword in hand / sword-handed” qualifying ekam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: khaṅga + kara (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• tatra: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya; locative adverb
• Role: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Root: tatra (तत्र अव्यय)

• tathā: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/particle (तथा=likewise)
• Role: Prakaraṇa (प्रकरण/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: tathā (तथा अव्यय)

• anyam: another (of them)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular; “another (one)” (object of implied ‘saw/there was’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: anya (अन्य प्रातिपदिक)

• daṇḍa-dhāriṇam: bearing a staff
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष—“staff-bearing” qualifying anyam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: daṇḍa + dhārin (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• ekam: one (of them)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: eka (एक प्रातिपदिक)

• kaustubha-dīpta-aṅgam: with limbs radiant from the Kaustubha gem
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष—“whose body is radiant with the Kaustubha (gem)” qualifying ekam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: kaustubha + dīpta + aṅga (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• anyam: another (of them)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular; “another (one)”
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: anya (अन्य प्रातिपदिक)

• bhūti-vibhūṣitam: adorned with sacred ash
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) used adjectivally; तत्पुरुष—“adorned with sacred ash (bhūti)” qualifying anyam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: bhūti + vibhūṣita (प्रातिपदिकानि)

Sandhi Notes

• tathānyaṃ = tathā + anyam
• kaustubhadīptāṅgam = kaustubha + dīpta + aṅgam (ā from sandhi in transmission)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Vira rasaSetting: Iconographic comparison frame

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethic of power and renunciation

Subjects

IconographyMaterial cultureVaishnava-Shiva syncretic motifs

Core idea

Khaḍga/daṇḍa indicate punitive power; Kaustubha indicates divine splendor; bhasma indicates ascetic transcendence—together teaching that sovereignty and renunciation are both divine modes.

In practice

Balance worldly responsibility (daṇḍa: discipline) with inner detachment (bhasma: impermanence remembrance).

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Iconography
• Sanskrit Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a concise iconographic catalogue (sword, staff, Kaustubha, vibhūti) that reflects how Purāṇic texts encode visual identifiers used in art history and manuscript traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it is descriptive rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not present an explicit ethical injunction; its primary function is descriptive, highlighting differentiated attributes and adornments for identification within the narrative.