Varaha Purana 2.48: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 48
Cosmogony and the Ninefold Creation: Rudra’s Origin and the Prelude to the Sāvitrī-Veda Narrative
Pūrva Bhāga · Pṛthivī-uddhāra (Earth-restoration) Narrative
अर्द्धनारीनरवपुः प्रचण्डोऽतिभयङ्करः । विभजात्मानमित्युक्तो ब्रह्मणाऽन्तर्दधे पुनः ॥ २.४७ ॥
arddhanārīnaravapuḥ pracaṇḍo ’tibhayaṅkaraḥ | vibhajātmānam ity ukto brahmaṇā ’ntardadhe punaḥ || 2.47 ||
arddhanArInaravapuH prachaNDo.atibhayaMkaraH | vibhajAtmAnamityukto brahmaNA.antardadhe punaH || 2.47 ||
Berjasad separuh wanita dan separuh lelaki, garang serta amat menggerunkan—setelah ditegur oleh Brahmā dengan kata, “bahagikanlah dirimu sendiri,” dia pun lenyap lagi daripada pandangan.
Sandhi Notes
- प्रचण्डोऽतिभयङ्करः = प्रचण्डः + अतिभयङ्करः
- ब्रह्मणाऽन्तर्दधे = ब्रह्मणा + अन्तर्दधे
- आत्मानमित्युक्तो = आत्मानम् + इति + उक्तः (उक्तो इति रूपम्)
Varāha
Cosmic power can appear as a unified totality (half-female/half-male) and then self-differentiate for the sake of ordered creation; disappearance indicates transcendence beyond form.
Hold opposites (strength/tenderness, action/stillness) without fragmentation; cultivate inner integration, then apply differentiated skills in service of dharma.
The androgynous, terrifying form signifies undifferentiated potency prior to ordered multiplicity; Brahmā’s command ‘divide yourself’ marks the transition from unified power to differentiated functions enabling creation.
Points to the one becoming many (ekaṃ bahu syām): differentiation (bheda) is a functional appearance for sṛṣṭi, while the underlying power remains one; also resonates with Ardhanārīśvara as unity of polarities.
Varāha Purāṇa: Rudra episode sequence (2.2.46–47)
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic narrative motif in which a composite or liminal form (half-woman/half-man) is regulated by Brahmā’s directive, illustrating classical Sanskrit myth-making about social/cosmic order rather than a historical event.
No geographic location is named in this verse fragment; the content is primarily mythic and cosmological.
A restrained philosophical instruction is implied: potentially disruptive power or fearsome embodiment is to be differentiated/ordered (“divide yourself”), aligning with Purāṇic themes of regulating forces to sustain cosmic balance.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
