Varaha Purana 113.17: Adhyaya 113, Shloka 17

Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry

Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue

Uttara Bhāga · Cosmic obscuration motif (darkening of luminaries)

Devanagari script

नष्टचन्द्रानिले लोके नष्टभास्करतारके ॥ स्तम्भिताश्च दिशः सर्वा न प्राज्ञायात किञ्चन

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 113.17

Transliteration

naṣṭa-candrānile loke naṣṭa-bhāskara-tārake || stambhitāś ca diśaḥ sarvā na prājñāyāta kiñcana

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Di dunia itu, bulan dan angin lenyap; matahari dan bintang-bintang pun hilang. Segala arah seakan terpaku, sehingga tiada apa pun dapat dikenali.

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Word by Word

• naṣṭa-candra-anile: in (a state/world) where moon and wind had vanished
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (elliptic locative phrase) ‘naṣṭau candrānilaḥ yasmin’; Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; used with ‘loke’ as qualifier
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: naṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from √naś) + candra (प्रातिपदिक) + anila (प्रातिपदिक)

• loke: in the world
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)

• naṣṭa-bhāskara-tārake: where sun and stars had vanished
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (elliptic locative) ‘naṣṭau bhāskara-tārakau yasmin’; Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; qualifier of ‘loke’
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: naṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from √naś) + bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक) + tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)

• stambhitāḥ: stilled/immobilized
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st), Plural; agrees with ‘diśaḥ’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: stambhita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from √stambh)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)
• Role: Vākyasaṅgati (वाक्यसङ्गति)
• Root: ca (अव्यय)

• diśaḥ: directions
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Plural
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarvāḥ: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with ‘diśaḥ’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)
• Role: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• prājñāyāta: was known/was perceived
• Type: Verb
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person, Singular; Ātmanepada form; ‘was known/was understood’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु)

• kiñcana: anything
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; used with negation = ‘anything’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: kiñcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• naṣṭacandrānile = naṣṭa + candra + anile (compound)
• stambhitāś ca = stambhitāḥ + ca (visarga before c → ś)

Speaker and setting

Bhayanaka and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Cosmological state (non-terrestrial)

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Phenomenology of cognition under cosmic order

Subjects

CosmologyMythic time/disruptionPhenomenology of darkness

Core idea

Discernment depends on ordered conditions (light, motion, direction); when these cease, knowledge and orientation fail.

In practice

Cultivate inner ‘light’ (viveka, dharma) so discernment is not wholly dependent on external conditions; recognize cosmic order as grace.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Sanskrit Descriptive Verse
• Mythic narrative

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

Such descriptions are part of Purāṇic cosmological rhetoric used to depict crisis, transition, or extraordinary events, offering insight into premodern Indian narrative cosmology.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is specified; the setting is cosmic/worldwide.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse functions as cosmological scene-setting.