Shloka 12

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

नमस् ते सर्वभूताय तुभ्यं शङ्खगदाधर माम् उद्धरास्माद् अद्य त्वं त्वत्तो ऽहं पूर्वम् उत्थिता

Transliteration

namas te sarvabhūtāya tubhyaṃ śaṅkhagadādhara mām uddharāsmād adya tvaṃ tvatto 'haṃ pūrvam utthitā

Translation

Salutations to You, the indwelling Lord of all beings, O bearer of conch and mace. Rescue me from this state today; for in the beginning I arose from You alone.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/सम्बोधन-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक निपात (salutatory particle)

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (genitive, 6th), एकवचन; (enclitic)

• सर्वभूताय: to the one who is all beings
• सर्वभूताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative, 4th), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषां भूतानां (to the being of all / to the one who is all beings)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• शङ्खगदाधर: O bearer of conch and mace
• शङ्खगदाधर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative, 8th), एकवचन; समासः—शङ्खं गदां च धरति इति (bearer of conch and mace)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उद्धर: lift up, rescue
• उद्धर: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• अस्मात्: from this (place/state)
• अस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (ablative, 5th), एकवचन

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kriya-vishesana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/before)

• उत्थिता: arisen, sprung forth
• उत्थिता: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि; अहम् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-रूपेण वसुंधरा) इति कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Goddess Earth (Pṛthivī/Bhū-devī), offering an appeal to Lord Vishnu (as narrated by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: He is invoked as Varāha to lift Bhū-devī from the depths and re-establish her as the basis of cosmic life.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-grounding the cosmos so that beings, yajña, and dharma can proceed upon Earth.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhū-devī confesses complete dependence: the Lord is the antaryāmin of all beings and the sole source from whom she first arose, so refuge and rescue belong to Him alone.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate śaraṇāgati: acknowledge dependence on God as inner ruler, and turn to Him in crisis with humility and clear petition.

Vishishtadvaita: Explicit antaryāmin + origination-from-Him supports Viśiṣṭādvaita: all entities are real, arise from Him, and exist as His body while He remains their indwelling Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Bhū-devī (Earth)
• Shankha (conch)
• Gadā (mace)

FAQs

What is the significance of Earth’s prayer in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames Vishnu as the universal ground of existence—Earth acknowledges she arose from Him and seeks His direct intervention to restore balance and protection.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between creation and Vishnu here?

Through the speaker’s confession—“from You I arose”—the narrative presents Vishnu as the originating cause and sustaining refuge, making creation inseparable from His sovereignty.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being called ‘sarvabhūtāya’ in this verse?

It emphasizes Vishnu as the Supreme Reality present as the support/inner ruler of all beings, aligning with Vaishnava Vedanta where the cosmos depends on Him for existence and deliverance.