Varaha Purana 72.3: Adhyaya 72, Shloka 3

Instruction on the Unity of the Triad

Brahmā-Viṣṇu-Rudra

Devanagari script

कस्मिन् प्रधानः भगवान् काले कस्मिन्नधोक्षजः । ब्रह्मा वा एतदाचक्ष्व मम देव त्रिलोचन ॥ ७२.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 72.3

Transliteration

kasmin pradhāno bhagavān kāle kasminn adhokṣajaḥ | brahmā vā etad ācakṣva mama deva trilocana || 72.3 ||

Translation

ഏത് കാലത്ത് ഭഗവാൻ പ്രധാന (ഭരണതത്ത്വം) ആകുന്നു, ഏത് കാലത്ത് അധോക്ഷജൻ (അതീന്ദ്രിയൻ) പ്രധാനമാകുന്നു? ഹേ ത്രിലോചന ദേവാ, ബ്രഹ്മൻ പറയുന്നതുപോലെ ഇത് എനിക്ക് യഥാർത്ഥമായി പറഞ്ഞുതരുക॥

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Word by Word

• कस्मिन्: in which (case/condition)
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• प्रधानः: chief, primary
• प्रधानः: Vidhēya (विधेय/predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• काले: at what time
• काले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• कस्मिन्: in which (case/condition)
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; interrogative

• अधोक्षजः: Adhokṣaja (Viṣṇu)
• अधोक्षजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधोक्षज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or / indeed
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थ-अव्यय (particle of alternative/emphasis)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

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

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• त्रिलोचन: O three-eyed one
• त्रिलोचन: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘यस्य त्रीणि लोचनानि सः’

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework: Inquirer)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Sanskrit
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava interface (epithets)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic mode of inquiry where cosmological concepts (kāla, primacy, transcendence) are posed through dialogue, preserving layered theological vocabulary and intertextual references (e.g., invoking Brahmā as an authoritative explainer).

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is conceptual, focusing on time (kāla) and divine status (pradhāna/adhokṣaja).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily models philosophical inquiry and epistemic humility: it frames knowledge of ultimate principles as something to be carefully explained by an authoritative teacher rather than asserted dogmatically.