Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

उत्तिष्ठतस् तस्य जलार्द्रकुक्षेर् महावराहस्य महीं विगृह्य विधुन्वतो वेदमयं शरीरं रोमान्तरस्था मुनयः स्तुवन्ति

Transliteration

uttiṣṭhatas tasya jalārdrakukṣer mahāvarāhasya mahīṃ vigṛhya vidhunvato vedamayaṃ śarīraṃ romāntarasthā munayaḥ stuvanti

Translation

As the great Boar, his belly still wet with the waters, rose up bearing the Earth and shook his body—himself the very substance of the Vedas—the sages who dwelt within the pores of his skin praised Him with hymns.

Word by Word

• उत्तिष्ठतः: of (him) rising up
• उत्तिष्ठतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); 'of (him) rising'

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जल-आर्द्र-कुक्षेः: of (him) whose belly is wet with water
• जल-आर्द्र-कुक्षेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (जलैः आर्द्रः कुक्षिः यस्य = 'whose belly is wet with water')

• महावराहस्य: of the Great Boar (Varāha)
• महावराहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् वराहः)

• महीं: the Earth
• महीं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विगृह्य: having seized/held up
• विगृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• विधुन्वतः: of (him) shaking
• विधुन्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धू (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); 'of (him) shaking'

• वेद-मयम्: made of the Veda
• वेद-मयम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (प्रत्यय, 'made of')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (वेदैः मयम् = 'consisting of the Veda')

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• रोम-अन्तर-स्थाः: dwelling between (his) hairs
• रोम-अन्तर-स्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त, √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (रोम्णाम् अन्तरे स्थाः = 'situated between the hairs')

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्तुवन्ति: they praise
• स्तुवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Earth was raised and stabilized by the Lord in the Varāha form

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: Varāha rises from the cosmic waters lifting the Earth to restore the world’s foundation and continuity of creation.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-establishment of Bhūmi in her proper station, enabling ordered life and dharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāra is not merely physical—his very body is Veda, and praise (stuti) arises naturally from beings sustained within him.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate the divine as the ground of sacred knowledge and respond with steady remembrance and recitation.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos (including sages) abides within the Lord while he remains the personal, active protector—immanence without loss of transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Varaha (Mahavaraha)
• Earth (Bhumi/Prithivi)
• Sages (Munis)
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the significance of Varaha lifting the Earth in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the Earth’s rescue as a cosmic restoration act: Vishnu, as Varaha, physically bears Bhū and re-establishes universal order, showing divine sovereignty over creation and dissolution.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Vedic nature of Vishnu here?

Parāśara calls Varaha’s body “veda-maya,” indicating Vishnu is not merely praised by the Vedas but is their living ground—sacred knowledge and cosmic law embodied in the Supreme Being.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu appears as both transcendent savior and immanent cosmos: sages dwell within him and praise him, underscoring Vaishnava theology that the Supreme Reality contains and sustains all beings while remaining their ultimate refuge.