Varaha Purana 12.3: Adhyaya 12, Shloka 3

Supratīka’s Hymn to Rāma and the Granting of a Boon through Divine Manifestation

Devanagari script

सुप्रतीक उवाच । नमामि रामं नरनाथमच्युतं कविं पुराणं त्रिदशारिनाशनम् । शिवस्वरूपं प्रभवं महेश्वरं सदा प्रपन्नार्तिहरं धृतश्रियम् ॥ १२.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 12.3

Transliteration

supratīka uvāca | namāmi rāmaṃ naranātham acyutaṃ kaviṃ purāṇaṃ tridaśārināśanam | śivasvarūpaṃ prabhavaṃ maheśvaraṃ sadā prapannārtiharaṃ dhṛtaśriyam || 12.3 ||

Translation

സുപ്രതീകൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അച്യുതൻ, നരനാഥൻ, കവി, പുരാതനൻ, ദേവശത്രുനാശകൻ; ശിവസ്വരൂപൻ, പ്രഭവൻ, മഹേശ്വരൻ; ശരണാഗതരുടെ ആർതി സദാ ഹരിക്കുന്നവൻ, ധൃതശ്രീധാരകൻ—ആ രാമനെ ഞാൻ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു.

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Word by Word

• supratīkaḥ: Supratīka
• supratīkaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: supratīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom. 1st), Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (Aorist), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• namāmi: I bow to; I salute
• namāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, Uttama-puruṣa (1st), Ekavacana

• rāmam: Rāma
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana

• nara-nātham: lord of men
• nara-nātham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana; apposition to rāmam

• acyutam: the infallible
• acyutam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana; epithet of Rāma

• kavim: sage; poet
• kavim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana

• purāṇam: ancient
• purāṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana

• tridaśa-ari-nāśanam: destroyer of the gods’ foes
• tridaśa-ari-nāśanam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ari (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana; ‘destroyer of the enemies of the gods’

• śiva-svarūpam: of Śiva-nature; auspicious in form
• śiva-svarūpam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana

• prabhavam: source; origin
• prabhavam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana

• maheśvaram: the Great Lord
• maheśvaram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• prapanna-ārti-haram: remover of devotees’ suffering
• prapanna-ārti-haram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prapanna (कृदन्त; √pad with pra) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + hara (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from √hṛ)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana; ‘remover of the distress of the surrendered’

• dhṛta-śriyam: bearing Śrī; endowed with prosperity
• dhṛta-śriyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛta (कृदन्त; √dhṛ) + śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc. 2nd), Ekavacana; ‘one who bears Śrī (prosperity/Lakṣmī)’

Speaker

Supratīka

Tags

• Varāha Purāṇa
• Classical Sanskrit Literature
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Purāṇic Stotra शैली
• Inter-sectarian Vocabulary

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies Purāṇic stotra-style diction where royal ideals (naranātha) and protective ethics (aid to the distressed) are expressed through layered epithets, reflecting how Purāṇic texts integrate praise-poetry with narrative framing.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as an invocation/praise statement rather than a tīrtha or place-description passage.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds the ideal of compassionate protection—relieving the suffering of those who seek refuge (prapannārtihara)—as a central virtue associated with exemplary sovereignty and moral authority.