Varaha Purana 18.24: Adhyaya 18, Shloka 24

The Origin of Fire and the Liturgical Names of Agni

Pūrva Bhāga · Nārāyaṇa-stuti / Nāma-nirvacana (Etymological Praise)

Devanagari script

नाराः सामान्यतः पुंसो विशेषेण द्विजातयः । ते शंसन्ति यतस्त्वां तु नाराशंसस्ततो भव ॥ १८.२४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 18.24

Transliteration

nārāḥ sāmānyataḥ puṁso viśeṣeṇa dvijātayaḥ | te śaṁsanti yatastvāṁ tu nārāśaṁsastato bhava || 18.24 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

लोग तुम्हारी तारीफ करते हैं, और ब्राह्मण तो खास करके। इसलिए तुम्हारा नाम नारशंस होगा।

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Word by Word

• नाराः: men/people
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)

• सामान्यतः: generally
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; adverb ‘generally’ (रीत्यर्थे)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: सामान्यतः (अव्यय)

• पुंसः: of men
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; ‘of men’
• Role: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• विशेषेण: especially
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन; adverbial ‘especially’
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘twice-born (Brahmins etc.)’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: द्वि-जाति (प्रातिपदिक); components: द्वि + जाति

• ते: they
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘they’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• शंसन्ति: praise/proclaim
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: शंस् (धातु)

• यतः: because
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; causal ‘because’
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)

• त्वाम्: you
• Type: Noun
• Form: द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; contrastive particle
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• नाराशंसः: Nārāśaṃsa (name/epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘praised by men / men’s praiser’ (context favors ‘praised by men’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: नर-शंस (प्रातिपदिक); components: नर + शंस

• ततः: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; ‘therefore’
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• भव: be (become)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: भू (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• यतस्त्वाम् = यतः + त्वाम्
• नाराशंसः analyzed as compound नर-शंस
• final instruction ‘ततो भव’ = ‘therefore be (called…)’

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasa

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Receptive; learning the social-theological grounding of epithets

What she asks

How does communal praise (śaṃsā) generate/justify a divine epithet like Nārāśaṃsa?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics of stuti + theology of name

Subjects

Theology (onomastics/epithets)Philology (name-derivation)Ethics (praise as recognition of virtue)

Core idea

Praising the divine is both recognition of virtue and a formative practice that aligns society with dharma.

In practice

Cultivate stotra/guṇa-kīrtana as ethical training: speech used for praise refines intention and community norms.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Instructional affirmation that humans—especially dvijas—praise the Lord; interaction is pedagogical within the dialogue frame.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates a common Purāṇic practice of nāma-nirvacana (etymological explanation of divine epithets), a technique used to anchor theology in Sanskrit semantics and traditional praise-poetry.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is on an epithet derived from the act of human praise.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames praise/commendation as a social recognition of worthy qualities, presenting reputation (being ‘praised by people’) as tied to conduct and acknowledged excellence rather than coercive obligation.