Varaha Purana 2.70: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 70

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

Pūrva Bhāga · Pr̥thivī-uddhāra (Dialogic Narrative Frame)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ते तया राजन् विस्मयेन तपोधन । पृष्टा का एते पुरुषा एतत्कथय शोभने ॥ ६९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.70

Transliteration

evam ukte tayā rājan vismayena tapodhana | pṛṣṭā kā ete puruṣā etat kathaya śobhane || 69 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ເມື່ອນາງໄດ້ກ່າວດັ່ງນັ້ນແລ້ວ, ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ—ໂອ ຜູ້ມີທະປະອັນອຸດົມ—ນາງເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຄວາມພິສົດ ແລະຖາມວ່າ: «ບຸລຸດເຫຼົ່ານີ້ແມ່ນໃຜ? ຂໍໃຫ້ເຈົ້າເລົ່າໃຫ້ຟັງ, ໂອ ຜູ້ງາມສົມຄວນ»

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार) — ‘thus’
• Role: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)

• उक्ते: when said
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘when (it was) said’ (locative absolute)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)

• तया: by her
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — ‘by her’
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — ‘O king’
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• विस्मयेन: with astonishment
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — ‘with astonishment’
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)

• तपोधन: O ascetic (wealth of tapas)
• Type: Noun
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (तपः धनं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — ‘O one whose wealth is austerity’
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृष्टा: was asked
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘(she) was asked’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त)

• का: who
• Type: Noun
• Form: प्रश्नसर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘who?’
• Role: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

• एते: these
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘these’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• पुरुषाः: persons
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘men/persons’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)

• एतत्: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’ (object of कथय)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• कथय: tell
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘tell’
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: कथ् (धातु)

• शोभने: O beautiful one
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — ‘O beautiful one’
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• एवमुक्ते = एवम् + उक्ते
• एतत्कथय = एतत् + कथय

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

Her state of mind

Vismaya (wonder/astonishment), inquisitive and alert

What she asks

Who are these men/persons that have appeared—what is their identity and status?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Method of inquiry (jijñāsā)

Subjects

DialogueNarrative framingIdentity inquiry

Core idea

Right questioning initiates right knowledge; astonishment becomes a doorway to discernment rather than confusion.

In practice

When confronted with sacred phenomena, ask for identity (devatā/tattva) and function before forming conclusions.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: advancing the plot through a formal inquiry that prompts the next explanatory section, preserving the text’s dialogic, didactic style.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a transition focused on identifying the figures (“ete puruṣāḥ”).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse emphasizes epistemic humility and inquiry—seeking clarification before forming conclusions.