Varaha Purana 20.2: Adhyaya 20, Shloka 2

The Birth of the Aśvins: Solar Lineage, Saṃjñā and Chāyā, and the Granting of a Hymn and Boons

Devanagari script

मरीचिर्ब्रह्मणः पुत्रः स्वयं ब्रह्मा द्विसप्तभिः । रूपैर्व्यवस्थितस्तेषां मरीचिः श्रेष्ठतामगात् ॥ २०.२ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 20.2

Transliteration

marīcir brahmaṇaḥ putraḥ svayaṃ brahmā dvisaptabhiḥ | rūpair vyavasthitas teṣāṃ marīciḥ śreṣṭhatām agāt || 20.2 ||

Translation

Marīci, fils de Brahmā—à vrai dire comme Brahmā lui-même—fut établi parmi eux sous quatorze formes ; parmi celles-ci, Marīci obtint la prééminence.

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Word by Word

• मरीचिः: Marīci
• मरीचिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition to मरीचिः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Emphasis modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मवाचक (emphatic adverb: himself)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition to मरीचिः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मा-शब्दः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• द्विसप्तभिः: with fourteen (forms)
• द्विसप्तभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi + sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक; द्विगु-समास)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (with ‘रूपैः’)

• रूपैः: with forms
• रूपैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: was established/arranged
• व्यवस्थितः: क्रिया (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (धातु) + क्त (Kridanta; past passive participle)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकर्मणि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with मरीचिः/ब्रह्मा)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मरीचिः: Marīci
• मरीचिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject of अगात्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठताम्: excellence, pre-eminence
• श्रेष्ठताम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreṣṭhatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अगात्: attained
• अगात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् लकार (Aorist/Imperfective past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic mode of cosmological genealogy, situating Marīci among Brahmā’s progeny and using numerical enumeration (fourteen) typical of early Sanskrit cosmographic and genealogical schemata.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is primarily cosmological and genealogical rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not present a direct ethical injunction; its philosophical function is classificatory—organizing cosmic lineage and hierarchical status within a creation narrative.