Varaha Purana 2.44: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 44

Cosmogony and the Ninefold Creation: Rudra’s Origin and the Prelude to the Sāvitrī-Veda Narrative

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmological Dharma Framework (Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti Traditions)

Devanagari script

सनकादयो निवृत्त्याख्ये तेन धर्मे प्रयोजिताः । प्रवृत्त्याख्ये मरीच्याद्या मुक्त्वैकं नारदं मुनिम् ॥ २.४३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.44

Transliteration

sanakādayo nivṛttyākhye tena dharme prayojitāḥ | pravṛttyākhye marīcyādyā muktvaikaṃ nāradaṃ munim || 2.43 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Modern Hindi

सनक और उसके भाइयों को उसने वो काम दिया जिसमे दुनिया से दूर रहते हैं। मरीचि और बाकी रिशियों को वो काम दिया जिसमे दुनिया में रहके काम करते हैं। बस नारद को अलग रखा, उनको यह काम नहीं दिया।

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Word by Word

• सनकादयः: Sanaka and others
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सनकः आदिः येषाम्’ इति (those beginning with Sanaka)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: सनक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)

• निवृत्त्याख्ये: in (the dharma) called Nivṛtti
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘निवृत्तिः आख्या यस्य’/‘निवृत्त्याख्यः’ (called ‘Nivṛtti’)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Root: निवृत्ति + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• तेन: by that / by him
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धर्मे: in dharma / in the path
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रयोजिताः: were appointed/engaged
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: प्र + युज् (धातु) → प्रयोजित (कृदन्त)

• प्रवृत्त्याख्ये: in (the dharma) called Pravṛtti
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्रवृत्त्याख्यः’ (called ‘Pravṛtti’)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: प्रवृत्ति + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• मरीच्याद्याः: Marīci and others
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘मरीचिः आदिः येषाम्’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: मरीचि + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)

• मुक्त्वा: having left/excluded
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)
• Role: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/gerundial modifier)
• Root: मुच् (धातु)

• एकम्: one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)

• नारदम्: Nārada
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)

• मुनिम्: the sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नारदम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (appositional)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• निवृत्त्याख्ये → निवृत्ति + आख्ये
• प्रवृत्त्याख्ये → प्रवृत्ति + आख्ये
• मरीच्याद्या → मरीचि + आद्याः
• मुक्त्वैकं → मुक्त्वा + एकम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Path

Dharma Mārga Viveka

Subjects

CosmologyEthicsDharma Theory

Core idea

Twofold dharma: nivṛtti (cessation/withdrawal) and pravṛtti (engagement/action), both legitimate when matched to capacity and cosmic role.

In practice

Discern one’s stage/temperament and adopt either disciplined engagement (duty, yajña-spirit) or disciplined withdrawal (vairāgya, contemplation), honoring bhakti as a bridge (Nārada-model).

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Indian Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra-era classification of normative life-paths into nivṛtti (withdrawal/renunciation) and pravṛtti (engaged action), mapped onto well-known genealogical sages to systematize ethical and cosmological roles.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is doctrinal and genealogical rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse presents a philosophical framework in which different exemplars are aligned with distinct ethical orientations—renunciatory withdrawal (nivṛtti) and active engagement (pravṛtti)—implying that multiple dharma-modes can coexist within a structured cosmology.