Varaha Purana 125.178: Adhyaya 125, Shloka 178

The Cycle of Māyā

Illusory Causation and Perceptual Reversal

Devanagari script

मायया किं तव धरे न मायां ज्ञातुमर्हसि ॥ मम मायां न जानन्ति देवदानवराक्षसाः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 125.178

Transliteration

māyayā kiṃ tava dhare na māyāṃ jñātumarhasi || mama māyāṃ na jānanti devadānavarākṣasāḥ ||

Translation

Wahai penyangga bumi, apakah urusanmu dengan māyā? Engkau tidak layak mengetahui māyā. Bahkan para dewa, dānava dan rākṣasa pun tidak mengetahui māyā-Ku.

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Word by Word

• māyayā: by (your) māyā / by illusion
• māyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• kim: what?
• kim: Prayojana/Prashna (प्रश्नार्थक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• tava: of you / your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• dhare: O Earth (Dharā)
• dhare: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• māyām: māyā / illusion
• māyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• jñātum: to know
• jñātum: Karma-pravacaniya (क्रियार्थक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अर्थः—‘to know’

• arhasi: you are able / you deserve
• arhasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• mama: my / of me
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• māyām: māyā
• māyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• jānanti: they know
• jānanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• deva-dānava-rākṣasāḥ: gods, dānavas, and rākṣasas
• deva-dānava-rākṣasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + dānava + rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philosophy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a Purāṇic articulation of divine inscrutability—māyā as a power not fully accessible even to high-ranking mythic beings—useful for comparative studies with Vedāntic and devotional literatures.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is mentioned.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To recognize limits of knowledge regarding divine agency (māyā), encouraging epistemic restraint in the narrative.