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Varaha Purana 28.5: Adhyaya 28, Shloka 5

The Manifestation of Māyā as Durgā/Kātyāyanī and the Slaying of Vaitrāsura

महातपा उवाच । सोऽन्यजन्मनि पुत्रोऽभूत् त्वष्टुर्बलभृतां वरः । अवध्यः सर्वशस्त्रेषु अपां फेनॆन नाशितः ॥ २८.५ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 28.5

mahātapā uvāca | so 'nyajanmani putro 'bhūt tvaṣṭur balabhṛtāṁ varaḥ | avadhyaḥ sarvaśastreṣu apāṁ phenena nāśitaḥ || 28.5 ||

Mahātapā berkata: “Dalam kelahiran yang lain, dia menjadi putera Tvaṣṭṛ, yang terunggul antara yang gagah perkasa. Walaupun kebal terhadap segala senjata, dia dibinasakan oleh buih air.”

महातपाthe great ascetic
महातपा:
Karta (कर्ता/वक्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमहातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अन्यजन्मनिin another birth
अन्यजन्मनि:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्य + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः—अन्यं जन्म यस्मिन्
पुत्रःa son
पुत्रः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अभूत्became
अभूत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
त्वष्टुःof Tvaṣṭṛ
त्वष्टुः:
Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन
बलभृताम्of the mighty ones
बलभृताम्:
Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootबल + भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—बलं बिभ्रति ये (bearers of strength)
वरःthe best
वरः:
Karta-predicative (कर्तृसम्बन्धि विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootवर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘बलभृताम्’ इत्यस्य षष्ठीसम्बन्धेन—श्रेष्ठः
अवध्यःinvulnerable / not to be slain
अवध्यः:
Karta-anvayi Visheshana (कर्तृसम्बन्धि विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ + वध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासः (negation)
सर्वशस्त्रेषुagainst all weapons
सर्वशस्त्रेषु:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—सर्वाणि शस्त्राणि
अपाम्of waters
अपाम्:
Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअप् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन
फेनेनby foam
फेनेन:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootफेन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन
नाशितःwas destroyed / slain
नाशितः:
Karma-bhava (कर्मभाव/परिणाम)
TypeVerb
Rootनश् (धातु) [णिच् causative: नाशय] + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः

Mahātapā

C
Classical Literature
P
Purāṇa Studies
M
Mythology
S
Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

It preserves a recurring Purāṇic narrative motif: a figure described as invulnerable to conventional weapons is nonetheless overcome through an exceptional substance, illustrating how mythic historiography encodes ideas of limits, contingency, and narrative causality.

No explicit geographic location appears in this verse; it is primarily genealogical and thematic (linking the figure to Tvaṣṭṛ and describing the means of destruction).

Rather than a direct moral injunction, the verse conveys a philosophical theme: claims of absolute invulnerability are qualified by exceptional conditions, emphasizing the limits of power and the inevitability of vulnerability under specific causes.

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