Varaha Purana 2.42: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 42

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

Devanagari script

श्रीवराह उवाच । प्रथमं ब्रह्मणा सृष्टा रुद्राद्यास्तु तपोधनाः । सनकादयस्ततः सृष्टा मरीच्यादय एव च ॥ २.४१ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 2.42

Transliteration

śrīvarāha uvāca | prathamaṃ brahmaṇā sṛṣṭā rudrādyās tu tapodhanāḥ | sanakādayas tataḥ sṛṣṭā marīcyādaya eva ca || 2.41 ||

Translation

श्रीवराह म्हणाले—प्रथम ब्रह्म्याने रुद्रादी तपोधनांची (तपस्यासंपन्नांची) सृष्टी केली. त्यानंतर सनकादी आणि तसेच मरीचीआदींची सृष्टी झाली.

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Word by Word

• śrī-varāhaḥ: Śrī-Varāha
• śrī-varāhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; speaker identifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• prathamam: first/at first
• prathamam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva usage (अव्ययीभाववत्), adverbial accusative (द्वितीया-प्रयोग) meaning ‘first/at first’

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karaṇa (करण; agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (ब्रह्मन्), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sṛṣṭāḥ: created
• sṛṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्: क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); passive predicate ‘were created’

• rudra-ādyāḥ: Rudra and the others
• rudra-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; logical subject of passive: those created)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• tapo-dhanāḥ: austerity-rich sages
• tapo-dhanāḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण; apposition to rudrādyāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); bahuvrīhi ‘those whose wealth is austerity’

• sanaka-ādayaḥ: Sanaka and the others
• sanaka-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; logical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanaka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘then/from there’

• sṛṣṭāḥ: created
• sṛṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्: क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• marīci-ādayaḥ: Marīci and the others
• marīci-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; logical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Textual Tradition

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic method of organizing cosmology through genealogical lists (sarga), aligning major figures (e.g., Rudra, Kumāras such as Sanaka, and Prajāpatis such as Marīci) within a creation sequence attributed to Brahmā.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily a cosmogonic and genealogical statement.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct ethical injunction, the verse foregrounds the cultural valuation of tapas (austerity/discipline) by describing early created beings as “tapo-dhanāḥ,” indicating disciplined practice as an esteemed ideal in the text’s worldview.