Varaha Purana 53.1: Adhyaya 53, Shloka 1

The Origin Account of Saptamūrti Svara and the Emergence of Saṃbhūti through Vibhūti

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogic Inquiry (Narrative Continuation)

Devanagari script

भद्राश्व उवाच । मत्प्रश्नविषये ब्रह्मन् कथेयं कथिता त्वया । तस्या विभूतिरभवत् कस्य केन कृतॆन ह ॥ ५३.१ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 53.1

Transliteration

bhadrāśva uvāca | matpraśnaviṣaye brahman katheyaṃ kathitā tvayā | tasyā vibhūtir abhavat kasya kena kṛtena ha || 53.1 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Bhadrāśva berkata: “Wahai Brahmin, engkau telah menuturkan kisah ini berhubung dengan pertanyaanku. Oleh siapakah terjadinya penampakan luar biasa itu, dan melalui perbuatan apakah, sesungguhnya?”

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Word by Word

• bhadrāśvaḥ: Bhadrāśva (proper name)

• uvāca: said

• mat-praśna-viṣaye: with regard to my question/topic

• brahman: O Brahmin (vocative)

• kathā: narrative/account

• iyam: this

• kathitā: narrated/told

• tvayā: by you

• tasyāḥ: of it/of that (fem. gen.)

• vibhūtiḥ: extraordinary power/manifestation/splendour

• abhavat: occurred/came to be

• kasya: of whom/by whom

• kena: by what/through what

• kṛtena: by deed/action (instrumental)

• ha: indeed/for emphasis

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta rasaSetting: Āśrama/sabhā

Speaker

Bhadrāśva

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

What she asks

What is the true agency behind the extraordinary manifestation, and which specific deed (karma) caused it?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Hetu-vidyā (causal inquiry)

Subjects

Narrative FramingCausality (Karma and Agency)Dialogue Structure

Core idea

Extraordinary outcomes (vibhūti) are to be traced to agency and karma rather than mere chance; inquiry is the gateway to dharma-knowledge.

In practice

When encountering ‘miraculous’ results, ask for the causal chain—intention, act, and ethical quality—before imitating or judging.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Philology
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: a named interlocutor prompts further explanation by asking about the cause (agency and action) behind a previously narrated event, helping structure extended discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it functions as a transitional question within the dialogue.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds inquiry into causality—seeking what action and whose agency produced a result—an intellectual posture aligned with Purāṇic discussions of karma, responsibility, and explanation.