Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

अतीतकल्पावसाने निशासुप्तोत्थितः प्रभुः सत्त्वोद्रिक्तस् तथा ब्रह्मा शून्यं लोकम् अवैक्षत

Transliteration

atītakalpāvasāne niśāsuptotthitaḥ prabhuḥ sattvodriktas tathā brahmā śūnyaṃ lokam avaikṣata

Translation

When the former kalpa ended, the Lord Brahmā rose from sleep in the night of dissolution; suffused with sattva, he gazed upon the world and found it empty.

Word by Word

• अतीत: elapsed
• अतीत: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (past participle) — 'gone/elapsed'

• कल्प: aeon, kalpa
• कल्प: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अवसाने: at the end
• अवसाने: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• निशा: night
• निशा: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपद)

• सुप्त: having slept, asleep
• सुप्त: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण — 'slept/asleep' (समासे पूर्वपद)

• उत्थितः: risen, awakened
• उत्थितः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग: उत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण — 'risen/awakened'

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सत्त्व: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्व: विशेषण-आधार (Qualifier base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपद)

• उद्रिक्तः: predominant
• उद्रिक्तः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्रिक्त (कृदन्त; √रिच्/√रेच् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग: उद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण — 'increased, predominant'

• तथा: thus, then
• तथा: सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-समुच्चय/उपपद — 'thus/and then'

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शून्यम्: empty
• शून्यम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'लोकम्')

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अवैक्षत: looked at, beheld
• अवैक्षत: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष् (धातु) (उपसर्ग: अव)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of creation after dissolution (kalpa-end and Brahmā’s awakening).

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation proceeds cyclically: after the cosmic night, Brahmā awakens and beholds the worlds void, initiating the next phase of manifestation.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Contemplate impermanence and cyclic time to loosen attachment and cultivate steadiness amid change.

Vishishtadvaita: The world’s periodic unmanifest state presupposes a continuing sovereign order under the Supreme, with Brahmā as delegated agent.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the significance of the 'cosmic night' (niśā) in the Vishnu Purana?

It signifies the dissolution interval when manifested worlds subside; Brahmā awakens after this pralaya to commence creation again.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the start of creation after a kalpa ends?

He frames it as Brahmā’s awakening with sattva predominant, beholding an empty world-state and moving toward the next phase of sarga (re-creation).

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

Even when Brahmā appears as the immediate agent of creation, the Purana’s cosmology treats the cyclic order of pralaya and sarga as ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty.