Varaha Purana 21.51: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 51

The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share

Pūrva Bhāga · Harihara-saṃvāda / Devāsura-yuddha narrative (martial episode)

Devanagari script

ततो हरिहरं युद्धमभवल्लोमहर्षणम् । रुद्रः पाशुपतास्त्रेण विव्याध हरिमोजसा । हरिर्नारायणास्त्रेण रुद्रं विव्याध कोपवान् ॥ २१.५२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.51

Transliteration

tato hariharaṃ yuddham abhaval lomaharṣaṇam | rudraḥ pāśupatāstreṇa vivyādha harim ojasā | harir nārāyaṇāstreṇa rudraṃ vivyādha kopavān || 21.52 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Then there arose a hair-raising battle between Hari and Hara. Rudra, with the Pāśupata weapon, pierced Hari with force; and Hari, wrathful, with the Nārāyaṇa weapon, pierced Rudra.

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (ततः=thereupon)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)

• hari-haraṃ: between Hari and Hara
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; द्वन्द्व (समाहार/इतरेतर) used adjectivally qualifying yuddham: “of Hari and Hara”
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: hari + hara (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• yuddham: battle
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: yuddha (युद्ध प्रातिपदिक)

• abhavat: arose/occurred
• Type: Verb
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)

• loma-harṣaṇam: hair-raising
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव): “causing hair to bristle” qualifying yuddham
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: loman + harṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• rudraḥ: Rudra (Śiva)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: rudra (रुद्र प्रातिपदिक)

• pāśupata-astreṇa: with the Pāśupata weapon
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष—“Pāśupata weapon”
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: pāśupata + astra (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• vivyādha: pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: vyadh (व्यध् धातु)

• harim: Hari
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: hari (हरि प्रातिपदिक)

• ojasā: with might
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: ojas (ओजस् प्रातिपदिक)

• hariḥ: Hari
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: hari (हरि प्रातिपदिक)

• nārāyaṇa-astreṇa: with the Nārāyaṇa weapon
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; तत्पुरुष—“Nārāyaṇa weapon”
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: nārāyaṇa + astra (प्रातिपदिकानि)

• rudram: Rudra
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: rudra (रुद्र प्रातिपदिक)

• vivyādha: pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: vyadh (व्यध् धातु)

• kopavān: wrathful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; possessive adjective (मतुप्/वत्) qualifying hariḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: kopa-vat (कोपवत् प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• abhavat lomaharṣaṇam: final -t + l-
• harir nārāyaṇāstreṇa: visarga sandhi (hariḥ + nārāyaṇa-)

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Cosmic arena

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Theological non-dual concord

Subjects

Puranic narrativeMartial theology (divine weapons)Inter-deity conflict motif

Core idea

Even when sectarian deities appear opposed, their powers are mutually matched, implying a higher unity and the limits of rivalry in īśvara-tattva.

In practice

Temper sectarian antagonism; read conflict-myths as pedagogic drama about power, restraint, and cosmic balance.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Śaivism
• Mythic Warfare
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a Purāṇic narrative technique in which major deities are depicted in conflict through named astras (weapon-mantras), reflecting shared mythic vocabulary across sectarian corpora while remaining part of a literary, not historiographic, register.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic toponym appears in this verse; it is focused on the combat episode and the deployment of the Pāśupata and Nārāyaṇa weapons.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not present an explicit ethical injunction; its philosophical interest lies in portraying controlled power (ojas) and anger (kopa) as narrative forces, framed through the symbolic use of astras rather than direct moral teaching.