Varaha Purana 74.2: Adhyaya 74, Shloka 2

Measures of the Earth and the Cosmos: The Expansion of the Universe and the Division of Continents and Regions

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogic Frame (Ṛṣi–Deva Saṃvāda)

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । त्वं परः सर्वदेवानामस्माकं च सुरेश्वर । पृच्छाम तेन त्वां प्रश्नमेकं तद् वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ ७४.२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 74.2

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | tvaṃ paraḥ sarvadevānām asmākaṃ ca sureśvara | pṛcchāma tena tvāṃ praśnam ekaṃ tad vaktum arhasi || 74.2 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Los sabios dijeron: «Tú eres supremo entre todos los dioses, y también nuestro Señor de los devas. Por ello te hacemos una sola pregunta; debes dignarte explicarla.»

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Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)

• ūcuḥ: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: vac (धातु)

• tvam: you
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)

• paraḥ: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarvadevānām: of all the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (सर्वेषां देवानाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: sarva + deva (प्रातिपदिक)

• asmākam: of us
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• sureśvara: O lord of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: sura + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)

• pṛcchāma: we ask
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: prach (धातु)

• tena: therefore; for that reason
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially: therefore/for that reason)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)

• tvām: you
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)

• praśnam: a question
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: praśna (प्रातिपदिक)

• ekam: one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'प्रश्नम्' इति विशेषण
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'प्रश्नम्' इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति/निर्देश (that)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)

• vaktum: to tell; to speak
• Type: Verb
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ (to speak)
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Root: vac (धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)

• arhasi: you are worthy; you should
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: arh (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• सर्वदेवानामस्माकं = सर्वदेवानाम् + अस्माकम्
• प्रश्नमेकं = प्रश्नम् + एकम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

Her state of mind

Curious, reverent

What she asks

A single decisive inquiry is requested from the supreme lord among devas (Rudra), seeking authoritative explanation (the specific question follows in the next verse).

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemology of instruction (guru-pramāṇa)

Subjects

Dialogue FrameworkAuthority of InstructionHermeneutics

Core idea

Knowledge is sought by first recognizing a competent authority (surēśvara) and then posing a focused question—an ideal purāṇic inquiry protocol.

In practice

Frame spiritual/cosmological inquiry with humility and precision; ask one well-formed question to elicit a complete, reliable teaching.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative device: sages formally acknowledging an authoritative speaker and requesting instruction, which frames the transmission of doctrine and cultural memory.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a preface to an inquiry within the chapter’s dialogue setting.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds epistemic humility and disciplined inquiry: knowledge is sought through respectful questioning of a recognized teacher within a structured discourse.