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Shloka 46

Dakṣa’s Sacrifice Restored: Śiva’s Mercy and Nārāyaṇa’s Appearance

त्वं पुरा गां रसाया महासूकरो दंष्ट्रया पद्मिनीं वारणेन्द्रो यथा । स्तूयमानो नदल्लीलया योगिभि- र्व्युज्जहर्थ त्रयीगात्र यज्ञक्रतु: ॥ ४६ ॥

tvaṁ purā gāṁ rasāyā mahā-sūkaro daṁṣṭrayā padminīṁ vāraṇendro yathā stūyamāno nadal līlayā yogibhir vyujjahartha trayī-gātra yajña-kratuḥ

O Lord, embodiment of the Vedic triad and master of sacrifice: in ages past You appeared as the great Varāha, and with Your tusk You lifted the earth from the waters of Rasātala, as an elephant plucks a lotus from a lake. In that vast boar form You resounded with a transcendental cry, received as a sacrificial hymn; sages and yogīs such as Sanaka meditated upon it and offered prayers to glorify You.

tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Nominative, Singular
purāformerly
purā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpurā (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)
gāmthe earth (cow)
gām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgo (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular
rasāyāḥfrom Rasā (nether region)
rasāyāḥ:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootrasā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (also possible Genitive; here Ablative with 'from')
mahā-sūkaraḥthe great boar
mahā-sūkaraḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + sūkara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; karmadhāraya: 'great boar'
daṁṣṭrayāwith (your) tusk
daṁṣṭrayā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootdaṁṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular
padminīmthe lotus-like one (earth)
padminīm:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpadminī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
vāraṇendraḥthe lord of elephants
vāraṇendraḥ:
Upamāna (उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootvāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'lord of elephants'
yathāas/like
yathā:
Upamāna-sūcaka (उपमानसूचक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable (उपमानवाचक/तुलनाबोधक)
stūyamānaḥbeing praised
stūyamānaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootstu (धातु)
FormPresent passive participle (शानच्/वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
nadanroaring
nadan:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootnad (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ/वर्तमानकाले), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
līlayāplayfully
līlayā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootlīlā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
yogibhiḥby the yogis
yogibhiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyogin (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
vyujjaharthayou lifted up / drew out
vyujjahartha:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Roothṛ (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular; with preverb vi + ud (व्युद्)
trayī-gātraḥwhose body is the three Vedas
trayī-gātraḥ:
Sambodhana/Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeNoun
Roottrayī (प्रातिपदिक) + gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; bahuvrīhi: 'whose body is the three Vedas'
yajña-kratuḥthe very sacrifice
yajña-kratuḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootyajña (प्रातिपदिक) + kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; karmadhāraya: 'sacrifice itself / the sacrificial rite'

A significant word used in this verse is trayī-gātra, which means that the transcendental form of the Lord is the Vedas. Anyone who engages in the worship of the Deity, or the form of the Lord in the temple, is understood to be studying all the Vedas twenty-four hours a day. Simply by decorating the Deities of the Lord, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, in the temple, one very minutely studies the injunctions of the Vedas. Even a neophyte devotee who simply engages in the worship of the Deity is understood to be in direct touch with the purport of Vedic knowledge. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) , vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: the purport of the Vedas is to understand Him, Kṛṣṇa. One who worships and serves Kṛṣṇa directly has understood the truths of the Vedas.

L
Lord Varaha
B
Bhu-devi (Earth)
L
Lord Brahma
Y
Yogis (sages)

FAQs

This verse describes Varāha raising the Earth from the depths of Rasā on His tusk, like an elephant lifting a lotus, while sages praise Him—showing the Lord’s effortless protection of the world.

In the aftermath of Dakṣa’s disrupted sacrifice, Brahmā glorifies the Supreme Lord as Yajña (the true sacrifice) and recalls His Varāha deed to affirm that all cosmic order and Vedic ritual rest upon Him.

Remember that God is the protector even when situations feel “submerged”; offer one’s duties as sacrifice to the Supreme (Yajña), and cultivate faith through hearing and praising His līlās.