Varaha Purana 95.13: Adhyaya 95, Shloka 13

The Slaying of the Daitya Ruru, the Hymn to Cāmuṇḍā/Kālarātri, and the Doctrine of the Threefold Power

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । किमियं व्याकुला देवा गतिर् वा उपलक्ष्यते । कथयध्वं द्रुतं देवाः सर्वथा भयकारणम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 95.13

Transliteration

devy uvāca | kim iyaṃ vyākulā devā gatir vā upalakṣyate | kathayadhvaṃ drutaṃ devāḥ sarvathā bhayakāraṇam ||

Translation

Die Göttin sprach: „Was ist diese Unruhe, o Devas, und welcher Gang der Ereignisse wird wahrgenommen? Sagt mir schnell, o Devas, die Ursache der Furcht in jeder Hinsicht.“

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Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; interrogative ‘what?’

• इयम्: this (she/this state)
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• व्याकुला: agitated, distressed
• व्याकुला: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with ‘इयम्’

• देवाः: O gods
• देवाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; vocative plural

• गतिः: movement/course, situation
• गतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• उपलक्ष्यते: is perceived/observed
• उपलक्ष्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• कथयध्वम्: tell (you all)
• कथयध्वम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु) [कथय- (णिजन्त)]
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; शीघ्रार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb ‘quickly’)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; nominative plural

• सर्वथा: in every way
• सर्वथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक (adverb ‘in every way/entirely’)

• भयकारणम्: the cause of fear
• भयकारणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘cause of fear’

Speaker

Devī (explicit: devy uvāca)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Narrative Inquiry
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies the Purāṇic dialogic method: a crisis is formally introduced through questioning, enabling a structured explanation and subsequent resolution.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is specified in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The passage models inquiry under crisis—seeking clear causes (kāraṇa) before action—an epistemic ethic within narrative form.