Varaha Purana 1.6: Adhyaya 1, Shloka 6

Praise of Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Foundational Questions

Pūrva Bhāga · Pr̥thivī-uddhāra and Viṣṇu’s avatāra narratives (cosmogonic reminiscences)

Devanagari script

अन्यत्सुरासुरमयं त्वं समुद्रस्य मन्थने । धृतवानसि कौर्म्येण मन्दरं मधुसूदन ॥ १.७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 1.6

Transliteration

anyat surāsuramayaṁ tvaṁ samudrasya manthane | dhṛtavān asi kaurmyeṇa mandaraṁ madhusūdana || 1.7 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

മറ്റൊരു സമയത്ത് ദേവാസുരസഹിതമായ സമുദ്രമഥനത്തിൽ, ഹേ മധുസൂദന, കൂർമരൂപം ധരിച്ചു നീ മന്ദരപർവ്വതത്തെ താങ്ങി നിലനിർത്തി।

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Word by Word

• अन्यत्: again/another time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (discourse marker: 'further/again/another time'); नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया रूपसदृशं, परन्तु अर्थतः अव्ययवत्
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/transition)
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• सुरासुरमयम्: made of gods and demons (i.e., involving both)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (सुर + असुर) ततः 'मय' प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'मन्दरम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: सुर + असुर + मय (प्रातिपदिक)

• त्वम्: you
• Type: Noun
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• समुद्रस्य: of the ocean
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• मन्थने: in the churning
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the churning)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: मन्थन (प्रातिपदिक)

• धृतवान्: (you) held/supported
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'असि' सह
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: √धृ (धातु)

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

• कौर्म्येण: by (your) tortoise-form
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (by means of, in the tortoise form)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: कौर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)

• मधुसूदन: O slayer of Madhu
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मधोः सूदनः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: मधुसूदन (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• अन्यत्सुरासुरमयम् = अन्यत् + सुरासुरमयम्
• धृतवानसि = धृतवान् + असि

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Cosmic geography

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She worships

Her state of mind

Grateful, recollective; praising the Lord’s prior avatāra-deeds in cosmic history

What she asks

Implicit: how the Lord repeatedly upholds cosmic order through diverse avatāras (here, Kūrma in samudra-manthana).

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Theology of divine support (avatāra as cosmic maintenance)

Subjects

CosmologyMythic HistoryTheology (as literary motif)

Core idea

The Lord sustains the world-process even when opposing forces churn it; stability underlies change.

In practice

Cultivate steadiness (dhairya) amid conflict; see divine support in collective striving and upheaval.

Symbolism of the boar

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Cosmogony

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It situates the Varāha Purāṇa within the wider Purāṇic intertext by referencing the Samudra Manthana narrative, a shared cosmogonic motif used to index Viṣṇu’s stabilizing role in mythic history.

Which geographic location is identified?

Mount Mandara is named; in Purāṇic geography it functions as the churning pivot-mountain rather than a single securely identifiable modern site, and is treated primarily as a mythic-cosmographic landmark.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, the verse highlights the philosophical theme of sustaining order during collective conflict—supporting stability (dhṛ-) amid competing forces—rather than issuing a direct prescriptive rule.