Varaha Purana 10.54 — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 54

The Threefold Division by the Guṇas, the Deities’ Attainment of Worship, and the Opening of the Durjaya Episode

Devanagari script

तत्रावयोर्महासैन्यं गजाश्वरथसंकुलम् । जिगाय सर्वदेवानां शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥ १०.५५ ॥

Transliteration

tatrāvayor mahāsainyaṁ gajāśvarathasaṁkulam | jigāya sarvadevānāṁ śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ || 10.55 ||

Translation

Allí, nuestro gran ejército—colmado de elefantes, caballos y carros—venció a las huestes de todos los dioses, por cientos y luego por miles.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक)

• āvayoḥ: of us two
• āvayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Dual

• mahā-sainyam: a great army
• mahā-sainyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st)/Accusative (2nd), Singular; here Nominative as subject of jigāya

• gaja-aśva-ratha-saṃkulam: filled with elephants, horses, and chariots
• gaja-aśva-ratha-saṃkulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; adjective qualifying mahāsainyam; ‘crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots’

• jigāya: conquered/defeated
• jigāya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ji (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect/लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• sarva-devānām: of all the gods
• sarva-devānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural; ‘of all the gods’

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Distributive adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय) ‘by hundreds’

• atha: and then
• atha: Samuccaya/Sequence (समुच्चय/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/conjunction (अनन्तर/समुच्चय)

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Distributive adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय) ‘by thousands’

Speaker

Varāha (default framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"cosmic order disrupted (adharma’s temporary ascendancy)","core_concept":"Adharmic power can appear overwhelming (vast armies), yet it functions as a narrative prelude to restoration of ṛta/dharma by the Supreme.","practical_application":"When confronted by seemingly invincible injustice, seek higher refuge and maintain dharmic steadiness rather than despair."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Mythic historiography","Conflict narrative","Royal/military imagery"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: Vīra

Secondary Rasa: Raudra

Geographic Context

Type: mythic battlefield

Cross References

Related Themes: Lead-in to the śaraṇāgati episode at Kṣīrābdhi (next verses)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal army packed with elephants, horses, and chariots surges and routs the gods’ forces in waves—hundreds, then thousands.","item_prompts":["war elephants with armor","chariots with banners","cavalry lines","fallen deva soldiers (symbolic)","dust clouds and conch/drum motifs"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dense battle tableau with rhythmic repetition of elephants/chariots; stylized motion lines; strong reds/ochres for martial heat.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: iconic battle panel with gold accents on armor and banners; layered composition showing ‘hundreds and thousands’ via repeated motifs.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant battle choreography; detailed harnesses and chariot wheels; controlled drama rather than gore.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: panoramic hillside battle with miniature-like troops; delicate detailing of standards; dynamic diagonals for charge and collapse."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"martial, escalating","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kānaḍā (for weight)","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"projected, percussive consonants on gaja-aśva-ratha"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Epic Style

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative convention in which large-scale battles and numerical hyperbole (hundreds/thousands) are used to frame cosmic-political shifts rather than to report verifiable chronology.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it is a narrative setting marker (“there”) without a toponym.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse primarily functions as narrative description emphasizing the scale of forces and the outcome of a conflict.