Varaha Purana 23.7: Adhyaya 23, Shloka 7

The Birth of Gaṇapati, the Emergence of the Vināyakas, and the Significance of the Fourth Lunar Day

Pūrva Bhāga · Śaiva–Daiva Saṃvāda (Devas’ Petition; Vighna-nivāraṇa Motif)

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । देवदेव महादेव शूलपाणे त्रिलोचन । विघ्नार्थमविशिष्टानामुत्पादयितुमर्हसि ॥ २३.७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 23.7

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | devadeva mahādeva śūlapāṇe trilocana | vighnārtham aviśiṣṭānām utpādayitum arhasi || 23.7 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Die Götter sprachen: „O Gott der Götter, Mahādeva, Dreizackträger, Dreiäugiger! Du sollst (ein Wesen) hervorbringen, um die Hindernisse für alle ohne Unterschied zu beseitigen.“

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)

• ūcuḥ: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √vac (धातु)

• deva-deva: O god of gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘god of gods’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)

• mahā-deva: O Mahādeva
• Type: Noun
• Form: Karmadhāraya (‘great god’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)

• śūla-pāṇe: O trident-handed one
• Type: Noun
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (instrumental/association sense: ‘with a trident in hand’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)

• tri-locana: O three-eyed one
• Type: Noun
• Form: Dvigu (‘three-eyed’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)

• vighna-artham: for (creating) obstacles
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyayībhāva: ‘for the purpose of obstacles’; adverbial (प्रयोजनवाचक)
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)

• aviśiṣṭānām: of the unexceptional / of ordinary beings
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of the undistinguished/common’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: a-viśiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; from √śiṣ/√śiṣ? ‘to distinguish’, past participle)

• utpādayitum: to produce
• Type: Verb
• Form: Kṛdanta; Infinitive (तुमुन्), ‘to produce/create’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: ut√pad (धातु)

• arhasi: you ought / you are fit
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present (लट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √arh (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• vighnārtham = vighna-artham (avyayībhāva)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Celestial court

Speaker

Devāḥ (the gods)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She listens

What she asks

How should a universal remover of obstacles be brought forth for the welfare of all beings without distinction?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Theology of providence

Subjects

CosmologyEthics

Core idea

Cosmic order is maintained by appointing specific divine functions (here, obstacle-removal) responsive to collective need.

In practice

Frame problem-solving as dhārmic: seek remedies that benefit all (aviśiṣṭa) rather than only a faction.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Śaiva Traditions
• Mythic Etiology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative pattern in which divine beings petition a major deity to institute a cosmic function—here framed as the management or removal of obstacles—illustrating how Purāṇic texts encode social and ritual concerns into mythic dialogue.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic toponym appears in this verse; it is a dialogic invocation addressed to Mahādeva (Śiva) using epithets rather than place-names.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes impartiality (“aviśiṣṭānām,” for all without distinction) as a guiding principle in addressing obstacles or disruptions, presenting equitable protection or assistance as a normative ideal.