Varaha Purana 2.19: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच । विस्तरेण ममाचक्ष्व आदिसर्गं सुरेश्वर । ब्रह्मा नारायणाख्योऽयं कल्पादौ चाभवद् यथा ॥ २.१९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.19

Transliteration

dharaṇyuvāca | vistareṇa mamācakṣva ādisargaṃ sureśvara | brahmā nārāyaṇākhyo 'yaṃ kalpādau cābhavad yathā || 2.19 ||

Translation

ധരണി പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സുരേശ്വരാ, ആദിസർഗ്ഗം എനിക്ക് വിശദമായി പറയുക; കല്പാരംഭത്തിൽ ഈ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് എങ്ങനെ ‘നാരായണ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായിത്തീർന്നു?

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Word by Word

• धरणी: Earth (Dharaṇī)
• धरणी: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वक्तृ-निर्देश (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: करण (Karaṇa/Means/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; manner-instrumental

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आचक्ष्व: tell / explain
• आचक्ष्व: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• आदि-सर्गम्: the primordial creation
• आदि-सर्गम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘of the beginning’

• सुर-ईश्वर: O Lord of the gods
• सुर-ईश्वर: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘lord of the gods’

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारायण-आख्यः: named Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण-आख्यः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘named Nārāyaṇa’; ब्रह्मा इति विशेष्येण सह

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कल्प-आदौ: at the beginning of the kalpa
• कल्प-आदौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location-Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘at the beginning of the kalpa’

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

• अभवत्: became / came to be
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as / how
• यथा: प्रकार (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (how/as)

Speaker

Dharāṇī (Pṛthivī / Earth)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Cosmogony

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic dialogic frame—Earth as inquirer and a divine instructor as respondent—used to introduce cosmogonic material (ādisarga) and kalpa-based cyclical time.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it is oriented toward cosmological origins rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily sets an epistemic and philosophical aim—seeking a detailed account of origins—rather than issuing a direct ethical injunction.