Varaha Purana 123.3: Adhyaya 123, Shloka 3

The Greatness of Fragrant Flowers and Leaves: Prabodhinī (Awakening) Observances and Seasonal Rites

Uttara Bhāga · Inquiry into Dharma (Dialogue Setup)

Devanagari script

तव देव प्रसादेन किञ्चिदिच्छामि वेदितुम्॥ यन्मया पूर्वपृष्टोऽसि केन धर्मेण मानवाः॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 123.3

Transliteration

tava deva prasādena kiñcid icchāmi veditum || yan mayā pūrvapṛṣṭo 'si kena dharmeṇa mānavāḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

देवा, तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं और कुछ जानना चाहती हूँ। पहले मैंने तुमसे पूछा था, इंसान किस धरम से अपना मक़सद पाते हैं।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• तव: your
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• देव: O god
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रसादेन: by (your) grace
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)

• किञ्चित्: something
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: इष् (धातु)

• वेदितुम्: to know
• Type: Verb
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to know’
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Root: विद् (धातु)

• यत्: that which/that
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मया: by me
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Kartr-karana (कर्ता-करण/agent)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पूर्वपृष्टः: previously asked
• Type: Adjective
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘previously asked’), क्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: पूर्व + पृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √पृच्छ्)

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• केन: by what/with which
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक (masc./neut.), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धर्मेण: by what dharma/practice
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)

• मानवाः: humans/men
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• किञ्चित्+इच्छामि → किञ्चिदिच्छामि
• पूर्वपृष्टः+असि → पूर्वपृष्टोऽसि

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasa

Speaker

Pṛthivī (implicit addressee: Varāha/Mādhava)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

Her state of mind

Curious, earnest, and deferential; seeking clarification and completeness.

What she asks

By what dharma do human beings attain their goal (their highest aim), as I asked you before?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethical inquiry / soteriological method

Subjects

EthicsDharmaśāstra (conceptual)Pedagogy (dialogue form)

Core idea

Right questioning (praśna) under grace (prasāda) is itself a dharmic act that opens the path to human fulfillment (puruṣārtha).

In practice

Frame spiritual practice with clear questions: ‘What is the dharma that leads to my highest good?’ Seek instruction with humility and continuity (remembering prior teachings).

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Dialogic instruction-request: Bhū-devī seeks further teaching ‘by your grace’ from the Lord.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Ethical Instruction
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects the Purāṇic didactic method: a cosmological personification (Earth) questions the deity to elicit normative guidance, aligning narrative with ethical instruction.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic site is specified in this verse; it functions as a thematic bridge into a dharma teaching.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The ethical focus is epistemic humility and inquiry: dharma is to be learned through disciplined questioning within an authoritative dialogue framework.