Varaha Purana 22.37: Adhyaya 22, Shloka 37

Gaurī’s Rebirth, Umā’s Austerities, Rudra’s Test, and the Himalayan Wedding

Pūrva Bhāga · Prayāga Māhātmya (Sacred Geography Narrative Frame)

Devanagari script

तत्र दृष्ट्वा महात्मानं सर्वदेवपितामहम् । उवाच प्रणतो भूत्वा ब्रह्माणं शैलराट् ततः ॥ २२.३७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 22.37

Transliteration

tatra dṛṣṭvā mahātmānaṃ sarvadevapitāmaham | uvāca praṇato bhūtvā brahmāṇaṃ śailarāṭ tataḥ || 22.37 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

वहाँ जाके उसने ब्रह्मा को देखा। ब्रह्मा सब देवताओं के बड़े थे। पहाड़ का राजा झुक के उनको प्रणाम किया। फिर उसने बात शुरू की।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb) “there”
• Role: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) “having seen”
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; समास: महा + आत्मन् (कर्मधारय)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्वदेवपितामहम्: grandfather of all the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सर्वदेवानां पितामहः (grandfather of all gods)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Root: सर्व + देव + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• प्रणतः: bowed / prostrated
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) used adjectivally; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “bowed down”
• Role: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) “having become”
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• शैलराट्: the mountain-king
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शैलानां राट्/राजा (king of mountains)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Root: शैल + राज्/राट् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)
• Role: Kāla-sambandha (कालसम्बन्ध)
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Mythic mountain/royal seat

Speaker

Śailarāṭ (the King of Mountains; likely Himālaya in purāṇic idiom)

The teaching

Path

Devotion/authority

Subjects

Sacred GeographyPuranic Dialogue FramingCosmology

Core idea

Reverence (praṇāma) to cosmic authority (Brahmā as devapitāmaha) precedes speech and action.

In practice

Approach teachers/elders and sacred institutions with humility before requesting boons or initiating major rites.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narratives
• Vaishnavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common purāṇic narrative device: authoritative instruction is framed through respectful encounters with cosmological figures (here, Brahmā as “sarvadevapitāmaha”), reinforcing textual legitimacy and lineage of transmission.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym is named in this single verse; it functions as a scene-setting transition (“tatra”). The mention of “śailarāṭ” suggests a mythicized mountain-entity, often associated in purāṇic literature with the Himālaya, but the identification is not explicit here.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds an ethic of humility and disciplined speech: one approaches a revered source of knowledge with praṇāma (respectful bowing) before inquiry or discourse.