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Varaha Purana 4.2: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 2

On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā

श्रीवराह उवाच । मत्स्यः कूर्मो वराहश्च नरसिंहोऽथ वामनः । रामो रामश्च कृष्णश्च बुद्धः कल्की च ते दश ॥ ४.२ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 4.2

śrīvarāha uvāca | matsyaḥ kūrmo varāhaś ca narasiṁho 'tha vāmanaḥ | rāmo rāmaś ca kṛṣṇaś ca buddhaḥ kalkī ca te daśa || 4.2 ||

Śrī Varāha bersabda: “Matsya, Kūrma dan Varāha; Narasiṁha, kemudian Vāmana; Rāma dan (Paraśu-)Rāma; Kṛṣṇa; Buddha; dan Kalkī—itulah sepuluh avatāra-Nya.”

श्रीवराहःLord Varāha
श्रीवराहः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootश्री-वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीः + वराहः)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मत्स्यःMatsya (Fish incarnation)
मत्स्यः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootमत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
कूर्मःKūrma (Tortoise incarnation)
कूर्मः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
वराहःVarāha (Boar incarnation)
वराहः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootवराह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
and
:
समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
नरसिंहःNarasimha (Man-lion)
नरसिंहः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootनर-सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नरस्य सिंहः)
अथthen/next
अथ:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle/adverb: then/next)
वामनःVāmana (Dwarf incarnation)
वामनः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootवामन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
रामःRāma
रामः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootराम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
रामःRāma (another Rāma, i.e., Paraśurāma)
रामः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootराम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
and
:
समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
कृष्णःKṛṣṇa
कृष्णः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
and
:
समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
बुद्धःBuddha
बुद्धः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootबुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
कल्कीKalki
कल्की:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकल्कि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक (क्लासिकल रूप: कल्की)
and
:
समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
तेthey/those
ते:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
दशten
दश:
विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootदशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्यावाचक-विशेषण; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (लिङ्गानुसारी—अत्र पुंलिङ्ग ‘ते’ इत्यनुसारेण)

Varāha

C
Classical Literature
V
Vaishnavism

FAQs

It preserves a compact Purāṇic catalogue of the ten avatāras (daśāvatāra), a widely transmitted enumerative motif used for doctrinal organization, memorization, and inter-textual alignment across Purāṇa and later devotional literature.

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is a theological-lexical enumeration rather than a sacred geography passage.

No direct prescriptive ethical rule is stated; the verse functions as a classificatory summary of paradigmatic figures associated in broader Purāṇic discourse with protection, restoration of order, and the resolution of crisis.

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