Varaha Purana 4.6: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 6

On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā

Devanagari script

त्वमेकाऽस्य देवस्य मूर्तिराद्या धराधरे । द्वितीया सलिलं मूर्तिस्तृतीया तैजसी स्मृता ॥ ४.६ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 4.6

Transliteration

tvam ekā ’sya devasya mūrtir ādyā dharādhare | dvitīyā salilaṁ mūrtis tṛtīyā taijasī smṛtā || 4.6 ||

Translation

Wahai Penyangga Bumi, engkau adalah perwujudan pertama dari dewa itu; perwujudan kedua dipahami sebagai air, dan yang ketiga dikenang sebagai cahaya berapi (taijasa).

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एका: one/first (as one)
• एका: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• अस्य: of this/of him
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: form
• मूर्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आद्या: prime/first
• आद्या: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• धराधरे: O supporter of the earth (mountain/earth-bearer)
• धराधरे: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा-धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे/अधिकरणे प्रयोगः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरायाः धरः)

• द्वितीया: second
• द्वितीया: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: form
• मूर्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तृतीया: third
• तृतीया: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• तैजसी: fiery/luminous
• तैजसी: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (from तेजस्: luminous/fiery)

• स्मृता: is said to be/is remembered as
• स्मृता: विधेय (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘is called/considered’

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic mode of cosmological classification in which the Earth and other elemental principles are framed as 'forms' (mūrti) associated with a deity, illustrating how early Sanskrit narrative texts integrated metaphysics with cosmography.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it speaks in general cosmological terms (Earth, water, and fiery radiance) rather than locating a tīrtha or region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not prescribe a direct moral rule; its philosophical instruction is classificatory—presenting Earth, water, and fiery radiance as foundational manifestations—supporting a worldview in which the Earth is treated as a primary, conceptually significant principle.