Varaha Purana 21.80: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 80

The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share

Pūrva Bhāga · Genealogical–Mythic Narrative (Dakṣa–Rudra Episode)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा तदा ब्रह्मा दक्षं प्रोवाच बुद्धिमान् । गौरीं प्रयच्छ रुद्राय पूर्वमेवोपपादिताम् ॥ २१.८१ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.80

Transliteration

evam uktvā tadā brahmā dakṣaṁ provāca buddhimān | gaurīṁ prayaccha rudrāya pūrvam evopapāditām || 21.81 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Tak przemówiwszy, mądry Brahmā zwrócił się wtedy do Dakṣy: "Daj Gaurī Rudrze, tę która została już wcześniej dla niego przyrzeczona."

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Word by Word

• evam: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), manner-adverb (प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: evam (अव्यय)

• uktvā: having spoken
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √vac (वच्), ‘having said’
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: vac (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)

• tadā: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), time-adverb (कालवाचक)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)

• dakṣam: Dakṣa
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)

• provāca: said to / addressed
• Type: Verb
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada; from √vac (वच्) with prefix pra-
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)

• buddhimān: wise
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying ‘brahmā’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: buddhimant (प्रातिपदिक)

• gaurīm: Gaurī
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)

• prayaccha: give / bestow
• Type: Verb
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada; from √yam (यम्) with prefix pra-
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra + yam (धातु)

• rudrāya: to Rudra
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी) Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)

• pūrvam: formerly / earlier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya usage (अव्ययवत्), temporal adverb (पूर्वकालवाचक)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)

• eva: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic particle (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha-nipāta (सम्बन्ध/बलवाचक निपात)
• Root: eva (अव्यय)

• upapāditām: previously arranged/provided
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); qualifies ‘gaurīm’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: upa + pad (धातु) + ita (क्त)

Sandhi Notes

• evamuktvā → evam + uktvā
• provāca is pra- + uvāca (√vac, लिट्)
• pūrvam evopapāditām → pūrvam + eva + upapāditām.

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Shringara rasaSetting: Mythic familial-cosmic setting

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She listens

Her state of mind

Relieved at restoration of social-cosmic order

What she asks

How is dharma upheld through rightful marriage alliances and honoring prior commitments in the cosmic genealogy?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma/social ethics

Subjects

GenealogyMythic narrativeMarriage allianceDharma (social order)

Core idea

Satya (keeping one’s word) and dharmic alliance (vivāha-saṃskāra) are instruments of cosmic stability, not merely private arrangements.

In practice

Keep commitments; treat marriage/relationships as dharma-bearing responsibilities requiring consent, propriety, and integrity.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Textual Tradition
• Mythology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates a common Purāṇic narrative motif in which Brahmā functions as an authoritative mediator to regularize social and cosmic order through sanctioned alliances, reflecting the textual culture of genealogical and dharma-oriented storytelling.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is explicitly named in this verse; the focus is on a mythic-personal interaction (Brahmā, Dakṣa, Rudra, and Gaurī).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes adherence to prior commitments and orderly resolution of relational obligations (i.e., honoring what has been previously arranged), framed within a dharma-oriented narrative.