Varaha Purana 113.21: Adhyaya 113, Shloka 21

Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry

Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue

Pūrva Bhāga · Avatāra Reminiscence (Narasimha Narrative Reference)

Devanagari script

अन्यद्धिरण्यकशिपुर्वरदानेन दर्पितः ॥ असावपि नृसिंहेण वपुरास्थाय नाशितः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 113.21

Transliteration

anyaddhiraṇyakaśipurvaradānena darpitaḥ || asāvapi nṛsiṃheṇa vapurāsthāya nāśitaḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

एक और दुश्मन था, हिरण्यकशिपु। उसने वरद पा के बहुत अकड़ कर ली थी। फिर तुमने नरसिंह बन के उसको खत्म कर दिया।

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Word by Word

• anyat: another time / otherwise
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially = ‘otherwise/another time’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)

• hiraṇyakaśipuḥ: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: hiraṇyakaśipu (प्रातिपदिक)

• vara-dānena: by the boon-gift (by a boon)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘varasya dānam’
• Role: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)

• darpitaḥ: made proud / arrogant
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘hiraṇyakaśipuḥ’
• Role: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Root: darpita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dṛp धातु)

• asau: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: Pronoun (अदस्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• api: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Root: api (अव्यय)

• nṛsiṃheṇa: by Narasiṃha
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष sense): ‘nara-siṃhaḥ’ (man-lion)
• Role: Kartā (कर्ता) in passive construction / Agent (कर्तृकरण)
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)

• vapuḥ: a body / form
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object) of ‘āsthāya’
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)

• āsthāya: having assumed
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; ल्यप्), ‘having assumed’
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)

• nāśitaḥ: was destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense ‘was destroyed’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया) — passive predicate
• Root: nāśita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √naś/√nāś धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• anyaddhiraṇyakaśipuḥ → anyat + hiraṇyakaśipuḥ
• hiraṇyakaśipurvaradānena → hiraṇyakaśipuḥ + vara-dānena
• asāvapi → asau + api
• vapurāsthāya → vapuḥ + āsthāya

Speaker and setting

Vira and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Mythic cosmic

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She worships

Her state of mind

Reverent, reflective on cosmic protection; implicitly relieved by removal of burdensome tyrants

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Theodicy / dharma-restoration

Subjects

CosmologyEthicsMythic History

Core idea

Īśvara’s avatāra acts as a corrective when adharma becomes entrenched through misused power.

In practice

Cultivate humility with power/privilege; align kingship and personal conduct with dharma to avoid self-destruction.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Epic-Puranic Narratives
• Dharma and Kingship

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It cross-references a widely transmitted Narasiṃha cycle, illustrating how Purāṇas interlink narratives to reinforce ethical themes such as the limits of power secured through boons.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific earthly location is named here; the verse functions as a narrative allusion rather than a place-based description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Power obtained through exceptional favor (vara) can lead to moral arrogance (darpa), which is portrayed as self-defeating.