Varaha Purana 22.4: Adhyaya 22, Shloka 4

Gaurī’s Rebirth, Umā’s Austerities, Rudra’s Test, and the Himalayan Wedding

Devanagari script

भवपत्नी च दुहिता एवं संचिन्त्य सुन्दरी । जगाम तपसे शैलं हिमवन्तं महागिरिम् ॥ २२.४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 22.4

Transliteration

bhavapatnī ca duhitā evaṁ saṁcintya sundarī | jagāma tapase śailaṁ himavantaṁ mahāgirim || 22.4 ||

Translation

So nachdenkend ging Bhavas Gattin, auch seine Tochter, die schöne Frau, zur Askese auf den Berg Himavant, den großen Gipfel.

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Word by Word

• भवपत्नी: Bhava’s wife (Śiva’s consort)
• भवपत्नी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भवस्य पत्नी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दुहिता: daughter
• दुहिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected
• संचिन्त्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वक्रिया

• सुन्दरी: the beautiful one
• सुन्दरी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणार्थे (as epithet)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तपसे: for austerity
• तपसे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• शैलम्: to the mountain
• शैलम्: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हिमवन्तम्: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• हिमवन्तम्: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्/हिमवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महागिरिम्: the great mountain
• महागिरिम्: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् गिरिः)

Speaker

Varāha (default narrative voice in Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sacred Geography
• Himalayan Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative pattern in which key figures undertake tapas in culturally significant landscapes; such passages help map how ascetic ideals were linked to renowned regions like the Himalayas in Sanskrit literary memory.

Which geographic location is identified?

Himavant (Himavān) is identified as the Himalayan mountain range/personified Himalaya; in scholarship it corresponds broadly to the Himalayas as a major North Indian sacred-geographic zone associated with ascetic practice.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds deliberation (saṁcintya) followed by disciplined practice (tapas), presenting self-restraint and purposeful retreat as a philosophical instruction for transformation through austerity.