Varaha Purana 92.29: Adhyaya 92, Shloka 29

The Demon King’s Council Deliberation and the Mobilization of an Army to Conquer the Devas

Devanagari script

महिष उवाच । मह्यं तु कथिता बाला नारदेन महर्षिणा । सा चाजित्य सुराध्यक्षं न लभ्येत वराङ्गना ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 92.29

Transliteration

mahiṣa uvāca | mahyaṃ tu kathitā bālā nāradena maharṣiṇā | sā cājitya surādhyakṣaṃ na labhyeta varāṅganā ||

Translation

Mahiṣa sprach: „Der große ṛṣi Nārada hat mir wahrlich von einem Mädchen berichtet; und jene erhabene Frau, die den Anführer der Devas besiegt hat, wäre nicht auf gewöhnliche Weise zu erlangen.“

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Word by Word

• mahiṣaḥ: Mahiṣa
• mahiṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person Singular

• mahyam: to me
• mahyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (चतुर्थी) Singular

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis

• kathitā: was told
• kathitā: Kriyā (क्रिया) (passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Feminine Nominative Singular; predicate with bālā

• bālā: the maiden
• bālā: Karta (कर्ता) (of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular

• nāradena: by Nārada
• nāradena: Karaṇa (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental Singular

• maharṣiṇā: by the great sage
• maharṣiṇā: Karaṇa (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental Singular; apposition to nāradena

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Feminine, Nominative Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• ajitya: without conquering
• ajitya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a + ji (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्) from √ji with negation a-; indeclinable; ‘without conquering’

• sura-adhyakṣam: the lord of the gods
• sura-adhyakṣam: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘overseer/lord of the gods’ (Indra); Masculine Accusative Singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• labhyeta: would be obtained
• labhyeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Passive (कर्मणि), 3rd person Singular

• vara-aṅganā: the excellent lady
• vara-aṅganā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya ‘excellent woman’; Feminine Nominative Singular; apposition to sā/bālā

Speaker

Mahiṣa

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Mythic Narrative
• Gendered Motifs in Sanskrit Literature
• Classical Sanskrit

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a common Purāṇic narrative device: a sage’s report (Nārada) establishing an extraordinary figure whose attainment becomes the plot’s impetus.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is identified in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No explicit ethical instruction is stated; the verse sets up a narrative tension around desire, power, and exceptional agency.