Varaha Purana 28.6: Adhyaya 28, Shloka 6
The Manifestation of Māyā as Durgā/Kātyāyanī and the Slaying of Vaitrāsura
Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography and Etiological Narratives (Dvīpa/Toponymy)
जलफेनेन निहतस्तस्मिँल्लयमवाप्नुयात् । पुनर्ब्रह्मान्वयाज्जातः सिन्धुद्वीपेति संज्ञितः । स तेपे परमं तीव्रं शक्रवैरमनुस्मरन् ॥ २८.६ ॥
jalaphenena nihatas tasmiṁl layam avāpnuyāt | punar brahmānvayāj jātaḥ sindhudvīpeti saṁjñitaḥ | sa tepe paramaṁ tīvraṁ śakravairam anusmaran || 28.6 ||
jalaphenena nihatastasmi.NllayamavApnuyAt | punarbrahmAnvayAjjAtaH sindhudvIpeti saMj~nitaH | sa tepe paramaM tIvraM shakravairamanusmaran || 28.6 ||
Dihentam oleh buih air, dia pun memasuki laya (peleburan) di sana. Kemudian, lahir semula dalam keturunan Brahmā dan dikenali sebagai “Sindhudvīpa”. Mengingati permusuhannya dengan Śakra (Indra), dia melakukan tapa yang amat dahsyat dan tinggi.
Sandhi Notes
- निहतस्तस्मिँल्लयमवाप्नुयात् = निहतः + तस्मिन् + लयम् + अवाप्नुयात् (तस्मिन् + लयम् → तस्मिँल्लयम्)
- पुनर्ब्रह्मान्वयाज्जातः = पुनः + ब्रह्मान्वयात् + जातः (पुनः → पुनर्; अन्वयात् + जातः → अन्वयाज्जातः)
- सिन्धुद्वीपेति = सिन्धुद्वीप + इति
- शक्रवैरमनुस्मरन् = शक्रवैरम् + अनुस्मरन्।
Varāha
Enmity (vaira) can persist across births, propelling repeated embodiment and renewed tapas; dissolution (laya) is not final for the jīva’s karmic stream.
Transform long-held resentments through forgiveness/insight; otherwise they reappear as recurring life-themes.
28.28.5 (foam-death); 28.28.7 (Vetravatī approaches the tapas-performer)
FAQs
It illustrates a common Purāṇic narrative pattern—death, dissolution (laya), and rebirth—used to explain the origin of a named figure and to anchor sacred-geographic terminology (e.g., Sindhu-dvīpa) within a genealogical framework.
Sindhu-dvīpa is presented as a toponymic designation. In scholarly discussions, “Sindhu” broadly relates to the Indus region; however, this verse alone does not securely fix a single modern identification without additional contextual verses.
The verse foregrounds the disciplined pursuit of tapas (austerity) as a means of purposeful transformation, while also depicting the potentially destabilizing role of sustained enmity (vaira) as a motivating force within the narrative.
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