Varaha Purana 95.17: Adhyaya 95, Shloka 17

The Slaying of the Daitya Ruru, the Hymn to Cāmuṇḍā/Kālarātri, and the Doctrine of the Threefold Power

Devanagari script

पाशाङ्कुशधराः सर्वाः सर्वाः पीनपयोधराः । सर्वाः शूलधराः भीमाः सर्वाश्चापधराः शुभाः ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 95.17

Transliteration

pāśāṅkuśadharāḥ sarvāḥ sarvāḥ pīnapayodharāḥ | sarvāḥ śūladharā bhīmāḥ sarvāścāpadharāḥ śubhāḥ ||

Translation

त्या सर्वजणी पाश व अंकुश धारण करणाऱ्या होत्या; सर्वांच्या स्तन पूर्ण होते. त्या सर्व भीषण, शूल धारण करणाऱ्या; आणि सर्व शुभ, धनुष्य धारण करणाऱ्या होत्या।

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Word by Word

• pāśa-aṅkuśa-dharāḥ: bearing noose and goad
• pāśa-aṅkuśa-dharāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा) Bahuvacana; bahuvr̥tti-viśeṣaṇa: 'bearing noose and goad'

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• sarvāḥ: all (indeed)
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana (punarukti for emphasis)

• pīna-payo-dharāḥ: full-breasted
• pīna-payo-dharāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīna (प्रातिपदिक) + payas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa: 'having full breasts'

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• śūla-dharāḥ: spear-bearing
• śūla-dharāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; 'bearing spears/tridents'

• bhīmāḥ: terrible
• bhīmāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय-निपात) conjunction

• āpa-dharāḥ: (textual) āpa-bearing / (intended) bow-bearing
• āpa-dharāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āpa/āpaḥ? (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; pāṭhāntara-sandhi: 'cāpa-dharāḥ' intended (bow-bearing); here from text 'āpadharāḥ' treated as compound

• śubhāḥ: auspicious, splendid
• śubhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

Speaker

Varāha (default narrative frame; speaker not explicit in fragment)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"symbolic ethics of power","core_concept":"Protective power (śakti) is both auspicious and formidable; weapons signify disciplined force used for dharma, not cruelty.","practical_application":"Cultivate ‘weapons’ as virtues/tools—restraint (pāśa), guidance (aṅkuśa), decisive action (śūla), and focused aim (dhanuḥ)—for protecting order."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Mythic Warfare","Iconography","Cosmology"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vīra

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: mythic war theatre / celestial assembly

Cross References

Related Themes: 95.95.23 (their emergence)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A host of auspicious yet terrifying goddesses stand armed—noose and goad in hand, spears raised, bows ready—radiant and powerful.","item_prompts":["multiple goddesses in formation","pāśa (noose)","aṅkuśa (goad)","śūla (spear/trident-like spear)","bows","full-breasted iconography","aura and ornaments"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical ranks of śaktis with bold outlines; each holding pāśa/aṅkuśa/śūla/dhanuḥ; intense eyes; rich ornamentation and saturated palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: embossed gold ornaments and halos; central prominent śakti with surrounding attendants; weapons rendered with metallic sheen; temple-arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined, classical śaktis with detailed textiles; balanced composition; weapons delicately painted; serene-yet-firm expressions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: dynamic line of goddesses on a hillside/sky backdrop; bright garments; simplified weapons; expressive faces conveying vīra and śubha."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"martial, energized","suggested_raga":"Durgā","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"firm, rhythmic, emphatic on weapon-compounds (pāśāṅkuśa-, śūla-, cāpa-)"}

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Śākta Iconography
• Sanskrit Epic Narrative
• Classical Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a standardized Purāṇic iconographic vocabulary (weapons, attributes, and epithets) useful for dating and comparing goddess imagery across Sanskrit textual traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is descriptive/iconographic rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical maxim is stated; the verse primarily catalogues symbolic attributes associated with divine protection and martial order.