Varaha Purana 2.44: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 44

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

Devanagari script

सनकादयो निवृत्त्याख्ये तेन धर्मे प्रयोजिताः । प्रवृत्त्याख्ये मरीच्याद्या मुक्त्वैकं नारदं मुनिम् ॥ २.४३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.44

Transliteration

sanakādayo nivṛttyākhye tena dharme prayojitāḥ | pravṛttyākhye marīcyādyā muktvaikaṃ nāradaṃ munim || 2.43 ||

Translation

സനകാദി ഋഷിമാരെ അദ്ദേഹം ‘നിവൃത്തി’ എന്ന ധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിയോഗിച്ചു. മരീചി മുതലായ ഋഷിമാരെ ‘പ്രവൃത്തി’ ധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിയോഗിച്ചു; മുനി നാരദനെ മാത്രം ഒഴിവാക്കി.

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Word by Word

• सनकादयः: Sanaka and others
• सनकादयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सनकः आदिः येषाम्’ इति (those beginning with Sanaka)

• निवृत्त्याख्ये: in (the dharma) called Nivṛtti
• निवृत्त्याख्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवृत्ति + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘निवृत्तिः आख्या यस्य’/‘निवृत्त्याख्यः’ (called ‘Nivṛtti’)

• तेन: by that / by him
• तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• धर्मे: in dharma / in the path
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयोजिताः: were appointed/engaged
• प्रयोजिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + युज् (धातु) → प्रयोजित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• प्रवृत्त्याख्ये: in (the dharma) called Pravṛtti
• प्रवृत्त्याख्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्ति + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्रवृत्त्याख्यः’ (called ‘Pravṛtti’)

• मरीच्याद्याः: Marīci and others
• मरीच्याद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘मरीचिः आदिः येषाम्’

• मुक्त्वा: having left/excluded
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• नारदम्: Nārada
• नारदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनिम्: the sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नारदम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (appositional)

Speaker

Varāha (default, as speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Indian Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra-era classification of normative life-paths into nivṛtti (withdrawal/renunciation) and pravṛtti (engaged action), mapped onto well-known genealogical sages to systematize ethical and cosmological roles.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is doctrinal and genealogical rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse presents a philosophical framework in which different exemplars are aligned with distinct ethical orientations—renunciatory withdrawal (nivṛtti) and active engagement (pravṛtti)—implying that multiple dharma-modes can coexist within a structured cosmology.