Varaha Purana 1.5: Adhyaya 1, Shloka 5

Praise of Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Foundational Questions

Devanagari script

वेदेषु चैव नष्टेषु मत्स्यो भूत्वा रसातलम्। प्रविश्य तानपाकृष्य ब्रह्मणे दत्तवानसि॥ १.६ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 1.5

Transliteration

vedeṣu caiva naṣṭeṣu matsyo bhūtvā rasātalam | praviśya tān apākṛṣya brahmaṇe dattavān asi || 1.6 ||

Translation

വേദങ്ങൾ നഷ്ടമായപ്പോൾ നീ മത്സ്യരൂപം ധരിച്ചു രസാതലത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ച് അവയെ വീണ്ടെടുത്തു ബ്രഹ്മാവിന് നൽകി.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• वेदेषु: in the Vedas
• वेदेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नष्टेषु: when (they were) lost/destroyed
• नष्टेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त; √नश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; 'वेदेषु' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• मत्स्यः: (as) the Fish (Matsya)
• मत्स्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having become)

• रसातलम्: to Rasātala (netherworld)
• रसातलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination as object)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having entered)

• तान्: them (the Vedas)
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'वेदान्' इत्यर्थे

• अपाकृष्य: having retrieved/pulled out
• अपाकृष्य: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-आ√कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having pulled out/removed)

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (recipient)

• दत्तवान्: (you) gave
• दत्तवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'असि' इत्यनेन सह परिप्रयोग (periphrastic perfect sense)

• असि: you are (auxiliary)
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework: inquiry addressed to Varāha/Viṣṇu)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Mythic Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a widely attested Purāṇic motif: the safeguarding and restoration of Vedic knowledge after a catastrophic loss, reflecting concerns about textual continuity and cultural memory.

Which geographic location is identified?

Rasātala is named as a nether realm in Purāṇic cosmography; it is primarily a mythic-cosmological location rather than a securely identifiable terrestrial site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds the principle of preserving foundational knowledge—portraying recovery and responsible restitution (returning the Vedas to Brahmā) as an ideal cultural action.