Varaha Purana 142.2: Adhyaya 142, Shloka 2

The Greatness of Esoteric Practice: Menstrual Impurity, Mental Equanimity, and Seasonal Conjugal Ethics

Uttara Bhāga · Guhyakarma-māhātmya (Ritual/ethical guidance; purity and conduct)

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच ॥ दास्यां मे प्रणयं कृत्वा विज्ञाप्यं शृणु माधव ॥ मृदुना च स्वभावेन वक्ष्यामि त्वां जनार्दन ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 142.2

Transliteration

dharaṇyuvāca || dāsyāṃ me praṇayaṃ kṛtvā vijñāpyaṃ śṛṇu mādhava || mṛdunā ca svabhāvena vakṣyāmi tvāṃ janārdana ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Bumi berkata: Setelah Engkau menerima kasih-bhakti pengabdian dariku, dengarkanlah permohonanku, wahai Mādhava. Dengan kelembutan watak aku akan berbicara kepada-Mu, O Janārdana.

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Word by Word

• धरणी: Earth (Dharaṇī)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Speaker/Subject)
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Action)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• दास्याम्: in (the state of) a maidservant
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन
• Role: अधिकरण (Locus/State)
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)

• मे: my
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रणयम्: affection/attachment
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Object)
• Root: प्रणय (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्वा: having made
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); पूर्वकाले (having done/made)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• विज्ञाप्यम्: a request/petition (to be stated)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; भाववाचक/कर्तव्यतार्थक (that which is to be informed/requested)
• Role: कर्म (Object)
• Root: विज्ञाप्य (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा with vi + ṇic/णिच् sense)

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Command)
• Root: श्रु (धातु)

• माधव: O Mādhava
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन
• Role: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृदुना: with gentleness
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; साधनवाचक
• Role: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)
• Role: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• स्वभावेन: by (my) nature/disposition
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन
• Role: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)

• वक्ष्यामि: I will speak
• Type: Verb
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Action)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• त्वाम्: to you
• Type: Noun
• Form: द्वितीया; एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: सम्प्रदान/प्रति (Recipient/Target)
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन
• Role: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• धरण्युवाच = धरणी उवाच (sandhi: ī + u → yu)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasaSetting: Dialogue-space (purāṇic frame)

Speaker

Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī/Vasundharā)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

Her state of mind

Devotional, gentle, petitioning; concerned about dharmic feasibility

What she asks

How should dharma/ritual conduct be framed so that it is compassionate, practicable, and aligned with your grace?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Bhakti-ethics (vinaya in inquiry)

Subjects

EthicsRitual ConductDialogue

Core idea

Dharma is best received through humble, affectionate petition to the Lord; gentleness (mṛdutā) is itself a dharmic mode of speech.

In practice

Approach ethical disputes with respectful inquiry, soft speech, and a welfare-oriented intention.

The Varaha avatara

Aspect

Dialogue

With the Earth

Bhu Devi approaches Varaha with प्रणय (devoted intimacy) and a respectful petition (विज्ञाप्य), asking him to listen.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharma Discourse

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic rhetorical posture—an interlocutor frames a question as a respectful petition, signaling didactic discourse on normative practice.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is specified here; the verse functions as a formal preface to a doctrinal/ethical query.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It models disciplined speech and inquiry: gentle address, humility, and clarity in petitioning an authority figure.