Varaha Purana 24.4: Adhyaya 24, Shloka 4

The Birth of the Nāgas, Brahmā’s Curse, and the Pañcamī Observance

Devanagari script

महातपा उवाच । सृजता ब्रह्मणा सृष्टिं मरीचिः सूतिकारणम् । प्रथमं मनसा ध्यातस्तस्य पुत्रस्तु कश्यपः ॥ २४.४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 24.4

Transliteration

mahātapā uvāca | sṛjatā brahmaṇā sṛṣṭiṃ marīciḥ sūtikāraṇam | prathamaṃ manasā dhyātas tasya putras tu kaśyapaḥ || 24.4 ||

Translation

महातपा ने कहा, जब ब्रह्मा ने दुनिया बनाई, तब मरीचि ने मदद की। पहले ब्रह्मा ने सोचा, फिर उसका बेटा कश्यप पैदा हुआ।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• महातपाः: the great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् तपाः = महान् तपस्वी)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सृजता: by creating
• सृजता: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘सृजता’ = by (Brahmā) creating

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मरीचिः: Marīci
• मरीचिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सूति-कारणम्: the cause of procreation
• सूति-कारणम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूति (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतेः कारणम् = cause of begetting/procreation)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kāla/krama (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative: ‘first/at first’)

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ध्यातः: was meditated upon
• ध्यातः: Kriya (क्रिया as predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ध्यातः’ = meditated upon/visualized

• तस्य: of him/of that (Marīci)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• कश्यपः: Kaśyapa
• कश्यपः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Mahātapā

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Genealogies
• Sanskrit Philology
• Cosmological Narratives

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic cosmogonic motif—mind-born (mānasa) generation and the enumeration of progenitor-sages (Prajāpatis)—used to organize early mythic genealogy and cosmological origins in Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the focus is genealogical and cosmological rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive; its philosophical content centers on origins and lineage (how beings are conceived and transmitted), not on an explicit ethical rule.