Varaha Purana 91.17: Adhyaya 91, Shloka 17

The Vaiṣṇavī Goddess on Mount Mandara: Emergence of the Maidens, Construction of the Goddess-City, and Nārada’s Visit

Devanagari script

अहो निष्कामता देव्याः इति खेदमुपाययौ । देवगन्धर्वसिद्धानां यक्षकिन्नररक्षसाम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 91.17

Transliteration

aho niṣkāmatā devyāḥ iti khedam upāyayau | devagandharvasiddhānāṃ yakṣakinnararakṣasām ||

Translation

„O, die Wunschlosigkeit der Göttin!“ — so sann er mit einem schmerzlichen Empfinden, indem er an die Götter, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Yakṣas, Kinnaras und Rākṣasas dachte.

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Word by Word

• अहो: oh!
• अहो: Bhava-prakashana (भावप्रकाशन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय-निपात (exclamation)

• निष्कामता: desirelessness
• निष्कामता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कामता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyopasamhara (वाक्योपसंहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• खेदम्: dejection
• खेदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उपाययौ: came/approached
• उपाययौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘came upon/approached’

• देवगन्धर्वसिद्धानाम्: of the gods, gandharvas, and siddhas
• देवगन्धर्वसिद्धानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गन्धर्व + सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (devas, gandharvas, siddhas)

• यक्षकिन्नररक्षसाम्: of the yakṣas, kinnaras, and rākṣasas
• यक्षकिन्नररक्षसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष + किन्नर + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (yakṣas, kinnaras, rākṣasas)

Speaker

Nārada (evaluative exclamation inferred); Narrator (listing frame ambiguous)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Ethics (Niṣkāma)
• Sanskrit Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It juxtaposes an ethical-philosophical ideal (niṣkāmatā) with a catalog of mythic beings, a Purāṇic technique for situating virtues within a broad cosmological society.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is given; the verse instead identifies classes of beings within Purāṇic cosmology.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Desirelessness (niṣkāmatā) is highlighted as a distinguished virtue, implying disciplined motivation rather than reward-seeking action.