Varaha Purana 171.41: Adhyaya 171, Shloka 41

Śuka’s Ocean Voyage: Adverse Winds, Arrival at a Viṣṇu Shrine, and Aid from the Jaṭāyu Birds

Uttara Bhāga · Tīrtha-Māhātmya (sea-journey and jewel-bearing ocean)

Devanagari script

पोतात्तस्मादुत्ततार सुवातेनोपवाहितः ॥ रत्नाकरः शुभो यत्र भावित्वाद्दैवयोगतः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 171.41

Transliteration

potāt tasmād uttatāra suvātenopavāhitaḥ || ratnākaraḥ śubho yatra bhāvitvād daivayogataḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

वो उस कश्ती से उतर गया, हवा अच्छी चल रही थी। वहाँ एक अच्छा समुंदर था - जहाँ बहुत रत्न मिलते थे। यह सब भाग्य की बात थी।

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Word by Word

• potāt: from the boat
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Root: pota (प्रातिपदिक)

• tasmāt: from that
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• uttatāra: crossed over / got out
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: ud-√tṝ (तॄ धातु)

• su-vātena: by a favorable wind
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); समास: su+vāta (कर्मधारय)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: su-vāta (प्रातिपदिक)

• upavāhitaḥ: carried along
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: upa-√vah (वह् धातु)

• ratnākaraḥ: ocean (mine of jewels)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); समास: ratna+ākara (तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: ratna-ākara (प्रातिपदिक)

• śubhaḥ: auspicious / splendid
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ratnākaraḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)

• yatra: where
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable; relative adverb of place (देशवाचक)
• Role: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)

• bhāvitvāt: because of (its) being destined / because it was to happen
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); abstract noun in -tva
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Root: bhāvitva (प्रातिपदिक)

• daivayogataḥ: due to divine providence
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable ablatival adverb in -tas (तसिल्); formed from daiva+yoga (तत्पुरुष) + -tas
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Root: daiva-yogataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• potāt tasmāt → potāt tasmāt (no split)
• suvātenopavāhitaḥ → su-vātena upavāhitaḥ
• bhāvitvād daivayogataḥ → bhāvitvāt daivayogataḥ (final d from sandhi of -t + d)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Providence and right conditions

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesCosmology

Core idea

Outcomes arise from a conjunction of effort (voyage) and daiva (favorable conditions).

In practice

Act with diligence, but recognize enabling conditions; cultivate humility and gratitude when ‘favorable winds’ appear.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Maritime Motifs
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sacred Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves maritime imagery and the classical designation ratnākara for the sea, helpful for studying ancient literary geography and travel motifs.

Which geographic location is identified?

An ocean/sea is indicated (ratnākara) without a specific coastline named; it likely belongs to a legendary geography rather than a single mappable shore in this excerpt.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is descriptive rather than prescriptive; it frames events as unfolding through daiva-yoga (providential causality), encouraging composure toward circumstance.