Varaha Purana 2.78: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 78

Cosmogony and the Ninefold Creation: Rudra’s Origin and the Prelude to the Sāvitrī-Veda Narrative

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogic Narratives (Royal Inquiry and Ascetic Discourse)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ते तया राजन् विस्मयेन तपोधन । पृष्टा का एते पुरुषा एतत्कथय शोभने ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.78

Transliteration

evam ukte tayā rājan vismayena tapodhana | pṛṣṭā kā ete puruṣā etat kathaya śobhane ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

彼女がそのように語り終えると、王よ、苦行の富を備えた修行者は驚嘆して尋ねた。「この人々は誰なのか。麗しき者よ、これを説き明かしてくれ。」

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Word by Word

• evam: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial modifier)
• Root: evam (अव्यय)

• ukte: when (it was) said
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/ktá), Locative singular (सप्तमी एकवचन), Neuter; absolute-locative sense (सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative absolute)
• Root: vac (वच् धातु) → ukta (कृदन्त)

• tayā: by her
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• rājan: O king
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: rājan (राजन् प्रातिपदिक)

• vismayena: with astonishment
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular
• Role: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Root: vismaya (विस्मय प्रातिपदिक)

• tapodhana: O treasure of austerity (ascetic)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; Tatpuruṣa: tapas-dhana = 'wealth is austerity' (तपः-धनः)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: tapas + dhana (तपस् + धन प्रातिपदिक)

• pṛṣṭā: (she was) asked
• Type: Verb
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/ktá), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with implied 'sā'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—patient in passive)
• Root: prach (प्रच्छ् धातु) → pṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)

• kā: who?
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; interrogative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ete: these
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative, qualifying 'puruṣāḥ'
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• puruṣāḥ: men/persons
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: puruṣa (पुरुष प्रातिपदिक)

• etat: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of 'kathaya'
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• kathaya: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/Imperative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Root: kath (कथ् धातु)

• śobhane: O beautiful one / O auspicious one
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; used as address
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Root: śobhana (शोभन प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• evam ukte = एवम् + उक्ते (locative absolute)
• etat kathaya = एतत् + कथय (no internal sandhi)
• vocatives: rājan, tapodhana, śobhane

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Narrator; default dialogue frame implies Varāha–Pṛthivī context, but this verse reads as a king/ascetic exchange

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

What she asks

Who are these persons that have appeared/been mentioned? (identity inquiry)

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemic humility in narrative inquiry

Subjects

DialogueLineage/Identity InquiryCourtly-ascetic encounter

Core idea

Astonishment (vismaya) becomes a legitimate doorway to knowledge when converted into a clear question about identity and meaning.

In practice

When confronted with the unfamiliar, ask precise questions rather than speculate; seek explanation from a qualified speaker.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Philology
• Dialogic Frame

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: an inquiry posed by an authority figure (king/ascetic), prompting an explanatory episode that structures the surrounding chapter.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this fragment.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds disciplined inquiry—seeking clarification before judgment—an epistemic virtue frequently emphasized in Purāṇic dialogues.