Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 3

Diti’s Untimely Desire and the Birth-Cause of the Asura Line

Prelude to Hiranyākṣa–Varāha

Devanagari script

तस्य चोद्धरत: क्षौणीं स्वदंष्ट्राग्रेण लीलया । दैत्यराजस्य च ब्रह्मन् कस्माद्धेतोरभून्मृध: ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

tasya coddharataḥ kṣauṇīṁ sva-daṁṣṭrāgreṇa līlayā daitya-rājasya ca brahman kasmād dhetor abhūn mṛdhaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ! ഭഗവാൻ വരാഹൻ തന്റെ ദംഷ്ട്രാഗ്രത്തിൽ ലീലായായി ഭൂമിയെ ഉയർത്തിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ദൈത്യരാജനുമായുള്ള യുദ്ധം ഏതു കാരണത്താൽ ഉണ്ടായി?

Synonyms

• तस्य: of him/of that (one)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (pronoun)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उद्धरतः: (of him) lifting/raising up
• उद्धरतः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√हृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा/षष्ठी एकवचन (Nom./Gen. sg) पुल्लिङ्ग; यहाँ षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (of the one who was lifting)

• क्षौणीम्: the earth
• क्षौणीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्व-दंष्ट्रा-अग्रेण: with the tip of (his) own tusk
• स्व-दंष्ट्रा-अग्रेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): स्वस्य दंष्ट्रायाः अग्रेण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग (अग्र), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• लीलया: playfully; as a sport
• लीलया: करण/हेतु (Instrument/means; manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• दैत्य-राजस्य: of the king of the demons
• दैत्य-राजस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (genitive/determinative): दैत्यानां राजा; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मन्: O brāhmaṇa (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: अपादान (Apādāna/source; cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (pronoun)

• हेतोः: of the reason; due to what cause
• हेतोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive; cause-phrase)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभूत्: arose; happened; became
• अभूत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/लुङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मृधः: battle; fight
• मृधः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

Characters & Entities

• Varaha
• Hiranyaksha
• Vidura

FAQs

Why did Lord Varaha fight Hiranyaksha in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse asks the cause: after Varaha lifted the earth on His tusk, a conflict arose with the Daitya king Hiranyaksha, who opposed the Lord’s act of restoring the earth.

Who is being addressed as 'brahman' in Bhagavatam 3.14.3?

The speaker addresses a learned brāhmaṇa—here, Maitreya speaks while narrating to Vidura, using 'brahman' as a respectful address.

What is the practical lesson of Varaha lifting the earth as a pastime (lila)?

Even vast crises are effortless for the Divine; devotees learn trust that God can protect dharma and restore balance, while they remain steady in service and faith.