Varaha Purana 2.29: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 29

Cosmogony and the Ninefold Creation: Rudra’s Origin and the Prelude to the Sāvitrī–Veda Narrative

Devanagari script

पश्वादयस्ते विख्याता उत्पथग्राहिणस्तु ते। तमप्यसाधकं मत्वा तिर्यक्स्रोतं चतुर्मुखः॥ २.२९ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 2.29

Transliteration

paśvādayas te vikhyātā utpathagrāhiṇas tu te | tam apy asādhakaṃ matvā tiryaksrotaṃ caturmukhaḥ || 2.29 ||

Translation

Los seres que comienzan con los animales son bien conocidos; en verdad son quienes toman sendas desviadas. Considerando también esa condición como no conducente al logro, el de cuatro rostros (Brahmā) lo clasificó como ‘tiryak-srotas’, el orden de corriente horizontal.

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Word by Word

• पशु-आदयः: animals and others
• पशु-आदयः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘पशवः आदयः’ = animals etc.

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (nom pl)

• विख्याताः: are well-known
• विख्याताः: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे: ‘are renowned/known’

• उत्पथ-ग्राहिणः: taking the wrong path
• उत्पथ-ग्राहिणः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्पथ + ग्राहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘उत्पथं गृह्णन्ति’ (taking wrong path)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्धसूचक (Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (nom pl)

• तम्: that (one/category)
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc sg)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• असाधकम्: ineffective; not accomplishing (good)
• असाधकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘तम्’ (acc sg)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having considered’

• तिर्यक्स्रोतम्: the sideways-stream (creation)
• तिर्यक्स्रोतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc sg)

• चतुर्मुखः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: ‘चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य’ (one who has four faces)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Sanskrit Philology
• Indic Taxonomies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic-era classificatory vocabulary (e.g., tiryak-srotas) used to systematize living beings within broader cosmological and philosophical frameworks attributed to Brahmā.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is ontological classification rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames ‘deviating paths’ (utpatha) as non-conducive to accomplishment (asādhaka), presenting an ethical-philosophical preference for disciplined or right-directed conduct.