Varaha Purana 7.3: Adhyaya 7, Shloka 3

The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu

Gadādhara

Devanagari script

ततो वै सुमहत्तीव्रं तपः परमदुष्चरम् । चरतोऽस्य तत्तीव्रं तपो रैभ्यस्य धीमतः । आजगाम महायोगी विमानस्थोऽतिदीप्तिमान् ॥ ७.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 7.3

Transliteration

tato vai sumahattīvraṃ tapaḥ paramaduścaram | carato'sya tattīvraṃ tapo raibhyasya dhīmataḥ | ājagāma mahāyogī vimānastho'tidīptimān || 7.3 ||

Translation

Raibhya rishi bahut bada tap kar rahe the. Bahut mushkil tap tha. Tabhi ek bada yogi aaya. Woh bahut chamak raha tha. Woh viman mein baitha tha. Woh Raibhya ke paas aaya.

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; sequential adverb

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipāta (निपात/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/emphasis (निपात)

• su-mahat-tīvram: very great and intense
• su-mahat-tīvram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā/Prathamā Ekavacana (agreeing with tapaḥ); karmadhāraya: 'very great and intense'

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana

• parama-duścaram: extremely difficult to perform
• parama-duścaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + duścara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying tapaḥ; karmadhāraya: 'supremely hard to perform'

• carataḥ: of (him) practicing
• carataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Genitive (Ṣaṣṭhī/6th) Ekavacana; 'of (him) practicing'

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana

• tat-tīvram: that intense
• tat-tīvram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying tapaḥ/tapo

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; here as object/field of 'carataḥ' (austerity being performed)

• raibhyasya: of Raibhya
• raibhyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raibhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana

• dhīmataḥ: of the wise
• dhīmataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana; qualifying raibhyasya

• ājagāma: came
• ājagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (गम्) (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• mahā-yogī: the great yogi
• mahā-yogī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'great yogin'

• vimāna-sthaḥ: seated in an aerial car
• vimāna-sthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'standing/being in a vimāna'

• ati-dīptimān: exceedingly radiant
• ati-dīptimān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + dīptimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying mahāyogī

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaishnavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative device: an ascetic’s intense tapas draws the attention of extraordinary beings, illustrating the cultural prestige of ascetic discipline in early Sanskrit literary traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit geographic location is named in this verse; it focuses on Raibhya’s ascetic practice and the arrival of a radiant yogin.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds disciplined endurance (tapas) as a valued philosophical practice, presenting sustained effort and self-control as catalysts for significant encounters or transformations.