Varaha Purana 21.9: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 9

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

Pūrva Bhāga · Devagaṇa-vyavasthā (Enumeration of Deities)

Devanagari script

तत्र दाक्षायणीपुत्राः सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । वसवोऽष्टौ च रुद्राश्च आदित्या मरुतस्तथा ॥ २१.१० ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.9

Transliteration

tatra dākṣāyaṇīputrāḥ sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | vasavo 'ṣṭau ca rudrāś ca ādityā marutas tathā || 21.10 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

There, all the gods—together with Indra—are described as the sons of Dakṣāyaṇī: the eight Vasus, the Rudras, the Ādityas, and likewise the Maruts.

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• दाक्षायणीपुत्राः: sons of Dākṣāyaṇī
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दाक्षायण्याः पुत्राः)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: दाक्षायणी-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• सवासवाः: together with the Vasus/Indras
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (वासवैः सह/वासवान् सहिताः)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: स-वासव (प्रातिपदिक)

• वसवः: the Vasus
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अष्टौ: eight
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
• Role: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• रुद्राः: the Rudras
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
• Role: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• आदित्याः: the Ādityas
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• मरुतः: the Maruts
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकार-वाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'likewise/also')
• Role: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• वसवोऽष्टौ = वसवः + अष्टौ
• रुद्राश्च = रुद्राः + च

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Cosmic/social order

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Theology of ordered plurality

Subjects

CosmologyGenealogyTaxonomy of Deities

Core idea

Many divine functions (Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, Maruts, Indra) are coordinated within a genealogical and functional order rather than random multiplicity.

In practice

See diverse forces (psychological, social, natural) as coordinated roles within one system; cultivate harmony among ‘departments’ of life.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Indic Cosmology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic method of organizing cosmology through genealogical and categorical lists of divine groups (e.g., Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, Maruts), useful for tracing intertextual parallels across Purāṇas and epics.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a classificatory statement within a broader cosmological or genealogical context.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive; its philosophical function is taxonomic—presenting an ordered account of divine classes to structure cosmological knowledge.