Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 19

Varāha-avatāra: The Boar Incarnation Lifts the Earth and Slays Hiraṇyākṣa

Devanagari script

तस्याभिपश्यत: खस्थ: क्षणेन किल भारत । गजमात्र: प्रववृधे तदद्भुतमभून्महत् ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

tasyābhipaśyataḥ kha-sthaḥ kṣaṇena kila bhārata gaja-mātraḥ pravavṛdhe tad adbhutam abhūn mahat

Translation

Oh descendiente de Bharata, ante la mirada de Brahmā aquel jabalí se situó en el cielo y en un instante creció hasta ser tan grande como un enorme elefante; fue un prodigio inmenso.

Synonyms

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

• अभिपश्यतः: while (he) was watching
• अभिपश्यतः: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√पश् (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; from धातु पश् with prefix अभि

• ख-स्थः: situated in the sky
• ख-स्थः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष): खे स्थितः; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifies the subject (the boar)

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; time-instrument

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), indeclinable; indicates report/emphasis

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• गज-मात्रः: elephant-sized
• गज-मात्रः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: गजस्य मात्रम् (measure/size); Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective

• प्रववृधे: grew
• प्रववृधे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृध् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; from धातु वृध् with prefix प्र

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; refers to the event/thing

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful
• अद्भुतम्: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective with तत्

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective with तत्

Characters & Entities

• King Parīkṣit

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Lord Varaha’s miraculous form expansion?

This verse describes a divine being in the sky expanding instantly to an elephant-like size, highlighting the wondrous, inconceivable potency seen in the Varāha-līlā narrative.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī address Parīkṣit as ‘Bhārata’ here?

Śukadeva speaks to Parīkṣit as a descendant of Bharata to honor his royal lineage while narrating the astonishing events of the Lord’s incarnation.

How can devotees apply the lesson of this verse in modern life?

It encourages reverence for the Lord’s inconceivable power and invites faith—recognizing that divine help and transformation can occur suddenly, beyond ordinary expectation.