Varaha Purana 2.44: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 44

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

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmological Dharma Framework (Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti Traditions)

Devanagari script

सनकादयो निवृत्त्याख्ये तेन धर्मे प्रयोजिताः । प्रवृत्त्याख्ये मरीच्याद्या मुक्त्वैकं नारदं मुनिम् ॥ २.४३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.44

Transliteration

sanakādayo nivṛttyākhye tena dharme prayojitāḥ | pravṛttyākhye marīcyādyā muktvaikaṃ nāradaṃ munim || 2.43 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ສະນະກະ ແລະ ອື່ນໆ ຖືກທ່ານນັ້ນໃຫ້ປະຕິບັດທຳທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ “ນິວຣິຕຕິ” (ການຖອນຕົນ). ສ່ວນມະຣີຈິ ແລະ ມຸນີອື່ນໆ ຖືກໃຫ້ປະຕິບັດ “ປຣະວຣິຕຕິ” (ການດຳເນີນໃນໂລກ) ໂດຍຍົກເວັ້ນແຕ່ ນາຣະດະ ມຸນີພຽງອົງດຽວ।

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Word by Word

• सनकादयः: Sanaka and others
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सनकः आदिः येषाम्’ इति (those beginning with Sanaka)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: सनक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)

• निवृत्त्याख्ये: in (the dharma) called Nivṛtti
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘निवृत्तिः आख्या यस्य’/‘निवृत्त्याख्यः’ (called ‘Nivṛtti’)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Root: निवृत्ति + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• तेन: by that / by him
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धर्मे: in dharma / in the path
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रयोजिताः: were appointed/engaged
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: प्र + युज् (धातु) → प्रयोजित (कृदन्त)

• प्रवृत्त्याख्ये: in (the dharma) called Pravṛtti
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्रवृत्त्याख्यः’ (called ‘Pravṛtti’)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: प्रवृत्ति + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• मरीच्याद्याः: Marīci and others
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘मरीचिः आदिः येषाम्’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: मरीचि + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)

• मुक्त्वा: having left/excluded
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)
• Role: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/gerundial modifier)
• Root: मुच् (धातु)

• एकम्: one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)

• नारदम्: Nārada
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)

• मुनिम्: the sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नारदम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (appositional)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• निवृत्त्याख्ये → निवृत्ति + आख्ये
• प्रवृत्त्याख्ये → प्रवृत्ति + आख्ये
• मरीच्याद्या → मरीचि + आद्याः
• मुक्त्वैकं → मुक्त्वा + एकम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Path

Dharma Mārga Viveka

Subjects

CosmologyEthicsDharma Theory

Core idea

Twofold dharma: nivṛtti (cessation/withdrawal) and pravṛtti (engagement/action), both legitimate when matched to capacity and cosmic role.

In practice

Discern one’s stage/temperament and adopt either disciplined engagement (duty, yajña-spirit) or disciplined withdrawal (vairāgya, contemplation), honoring bhakti as a bridge (Nārada-model).

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Indian Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra-era classification of normative life-paths into nivṛtti (withdrawal/renunciation) and pravṛtti (engaged action), mapped onto well-known genealogical sages to systematize ethical and cosmological roles.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is doctrinal and genealogical rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse presents a philosophical framework in which different exemplars are aligned with distinct ethical orientations—renunciatory withdrawal (nivṛtti) and active engagement (pravṛtti)—implying that multiple dharma-modes can coexist within a structured cosmology.