Varaha Purana 39.15: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 15

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । यदेतत् परमं ब्रह्म वेदव्यासेषु पठ्यते । स देवः पुण्डरीकाक्षः स्वयं नारायणः परः ॥ ३९.१५ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 39.15

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | yad etat paramaṃ brahma vedavyāseṣu paṭhyate | sa devaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ svayaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ || 39.15 ||

Translation

Durvāsā sprach: „Das, was in den vedischen und von Vyāsa hergeleiteten Lehren als das höchste Brahman rezitiert wird — er ist jener Gott Puṇḍarīkākṣa (‘der Lotusäugige’), Nārāyaṇa selbst, der Transzendente.“

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Word by Word

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā (sage)
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वेदव्यासेषु: in the Vedavyāsas / in the compilations of Vyāsa
• वेदव्यासेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदव्यास (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + व्यास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (वेदस्य व्यासः)

• पठ्यते: is read/recited
• पठ्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि (is read/recited)

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पुण्डरीकाक्षः: lotus-eyed (epithet)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीकाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; पुण्डरीक + अक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (पुण्डरीक-इव अक्षिणी यस्य)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः/स्वतः (oneself, personally)

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परः: supreme
• परः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates a Purāṇic strategy of linking the philosophical term “Brahman” with a personalized theological referent (Nārāyaṇa), reflecting how later Sanskrit traditions harmonized Vedānta vocabulary with sectarian devotional frameworks while preserving the prestige of Vedic/Vyāsa textual authority.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily doctrinal, focusing on identifying the ‘supreme Brahman’ with Nārāyaṇa.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than an explicit ethical injunction, the verse conveys a philosophical instruction: it frames ultimate reality (Brahman) as knowable through recognized textual transmission and identifies that ultimate principle with a specific theological figure (Nārāyaṇa), emphasizing coherence between metaphysical discourse and devotional nomenclature.