Varaha Purana 98.36: Adhyaya 98, Shloka 36

Chapter on the Sacred Hill Episode: Satyatapā and the Marvel of Varāha

Uttara Bhāga · Wonder narrative (Kinnara couple at Bhadravaṭa)

Devanagari script

तस्मिन् भद्रवटे चैके मिथुनं किन्नरं स्थितम् ॥ रात्रौ सुप्तमृषेस्तस्य दृष्ट्वा तन्महदद्भुतम्

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 98.36

Transliteration

tasmin bhadravaṭe caikaṃ mithunaṃ kinnaraṃ sthitam || rātrau suptam ṛṣes tasya dṛṣṭvā tan mahad adbhutam

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

भद्रवट में एक किन्नर जोड़ा रहता था। एक रात को वो रिशि सो रहा था। तब उसने देखा कि उस रिशि के साथ कुछ बड़ा अजब हो रहा है।

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Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular of 'that'
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• भद्रवटे: in Bhadravaṭa (place)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative singular
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Root: भद्रवट (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एकम्: one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; agrees with 'mithunam'
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)

• मिथुनम्: a pair/couple
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)

• किन्नरम्: a Kinnara (celestial being)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; in apposition to 'mithunam'
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: किन्नर (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्थितम्: standing/being situated
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with 'mithunam'
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)

• रात्रौ: at night
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative singular
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time-locative)
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)

• सुप्तम्: asleep
• Type: Adjective
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies 'mithunam/kinnaram'
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: स्वप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)

• ऋषेः: of the sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; genitive singular
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; genitive singular
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main action)
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)

• तत्: that
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; refers to the sight/event
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with 'tat'
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful/marvelous
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with 'tat'
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• चैके = च + एकम्
• तन्महदद्भुतम् = तत् + महत् + अद्भुतम्
• IAST 'ṛṣes' normalized to ऋषेः

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

What she asks

What is the sacred significance of Bhadravaṭa, and what marvel occurs there involving the sleeping sage and the Kinnara pair?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Sacred geography as moral-spiritual pedagogy

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesMythic Ethnography

Core idea

Tīrthas reveal hidden marvels to receptive beings; the presence of siddha-sages and nonhuman devotees (Kinnaras) signals a layered cosmos where dharma and sanctity attract the wondrous.

In practice

Approach sacred places with reverence and restraint (especially at night); cultivate purity so that ‘marvel’ becomes insight rather than mere spectacle.

The Varaha avatara

Aspect

Dialogue

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Sacred Geography
• Mythic Beings (Kinnara)
• Narrative Episodes

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies Purāṇic ‘adbhuta’ storytelling and preserves a toponym (Bhadravaṭa), which can be compared with other textual witnesses for mapping sacred-geographic memory.

Which geographic location is identified?

Bhadravaṭa is explicitly named; its precise modern identification is uncertain from this fragment alone and would require cross-textual and regional toponymic comparison.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily sets narrative context rather than issuing a direct ethical maxim; it frames wonder as a catalyst for subsequent instruction or boon-granting.