Varaha Purana 95.8: Adhyaya 95, Shloka 8

The Slaying of the Daitya Ruru, the Hymn to Cāmuṇḍā/Kālarātri, and the Doctrine of the Threefold Power

Pūrva Bhāga · Devāsura-saṅgrāma and pursuit of the devas

Devanagari script

देवेषु चैव भग्नेषु विद्रुतेषु विशेषतः । असुरः सर्वदेवानामन्वधावत वीर्यवान् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 95.8

Transliteration

deveṣu caiva bhagneṣu vidruteṣu viśeṣataḥ | asuraḥ sarvadevānām anvadhāvata vīryavān ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

जब देवता हार के भाग रहे थे, एक ताकतवाला असुर पीछे पड़ा। वो सब देवताओं के पीछे भागा। कोई नहीं बच पा रहा था।

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Word by Word

• देवेषु: when/among the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, locative plural)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• भग्नेषु: defeated / broken
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; देवेषु इति विशेष्ये (past passive participle used adjectivally; locative plural)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of देवेषु
• Root: √भञ्ज् (भञ्ज् धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• विद्रुतेषु: having fled
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; देवेषु इति विशेष्ये (past passive participle; locative plural)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of देवेषु
• Root: वि + √द्रु (द्रु धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• विशेषतः: especially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/विशेषवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (especially)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)

• असुरः: the demon
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे देवाः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive plural)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) / object-domain of pursuit
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्वधावत: pursued / ran after
• Type: Verb
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular, imperfect, parasmaipada)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: अनु + √धाव् (धाव् धातु) (धातु)

• वीर्यवान्: mighty / powerful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of असुरः
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• चैव → च + एव
• सर्वदेवानामन्वधावत → सर्वदेवानाम् + अन्वधावत

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Bhayanaka rasaSetting: Mythic battlefield

Speaker

Narrator

The teaching

Path

Ethico Cosmic

Subjects

CosmologyEthics

Core idea

Adharma, when empowered, chases even the luminous (devas); mere status is insufficient without śakti and right order.

In practice

Do not rely on position alone; cultivate inner steadiness and right alliances (sattva, discipline) when confronted by overpowering forces.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Mythic Warfare
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

Such pursuit scenes are a standard narrative device in Purāṇas, intensifying disorder (adharma) before a restoration of balance, and they show the epic register of Sanskrit storytelling.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic site is specified here.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it foregrounds the vulnerability of power without protection and sets up the theme of seeking refuge and restoration of order.