Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 23

Brahmā’s Puṣkara Sacrifice: Kokāmukha Tīrtha, Varāha’s Aid, and the Arrival of Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

कथं च भगवान्विष्णुः साहाय्यं केन कीदृशं । अमरैर्वा कृतं यच्च तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति

Transliteration

kathaṃ ca bhagavānviṣṇuḥ sāhāyyaṃ kena kīdṛśaṃ | amarairvā kṛtaṃ yacca tadbhavānvaktumarhati

Translation

ਅਤੇ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਵਿਸ਼ਣੂ ਨੇ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਕੀਤੀ—ਕਿਸ ਦੇ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਹੋ ਜਿਹੀ? ਅਤੇ ਅਮਰ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਜੋ ਕੁਝ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ, ਉਹ ਵੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਹਿਣ ਯੋਗ ਹੋ।

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय; manner adverb

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• साहाय्यम्: help/assistance
• साहाय्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• केन: by whom?
• केन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental interrogative

• कीदृशम्: of what kind?
• कीदृशम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; interrogative adjective qualifying साहाय्यम्

• अमरैः: by the immortals (gods)
• अमरैः: Kartr̥ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; instrumental (agent with passive)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: PPP; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यत्: whatever which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; honorific 2nd-person pronoun

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive)

• अर्हति: is worthy/should
• अर्हति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in provided excerpt (a question posed to a narrator/teacher figure)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: भगवान्विष्णुः = भगवान् + विष्णुः; अमरैर्वा = अमरैः + वा; यच्च = यत् + च; तद्भवान् = तत् + भवान्; वक्तुमर्हति = वक्तुम् + अर्हति.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Amarāḥ (Devas)

FAQs

What is being asked in this verse?

The speaker asks for a detailed account of Viṣṇu’s assistance—who mediated it, what form it took, and what actions the gods (amaras) performed.

What does the verse suggest about divine action in the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa?

It frames creation-era events as coordinated: Viṣṇu’s help and the devas’ deeds are presented as distinct but related causes needing explanation.

Why is the addressee called worthy to speak (vaktum arhati)?

It is a traditional honorific in Purāṇic dialogue, acknowledging the narrator’s authority and fitness to explain sacred history accurately.