Varaha Purana 23.2: Adhyaya 23, Shloka 2

The Birth of Gaṇapati, the Emergence of the Vināyakas, and the Significance of the Fourth Lunar Day

Pūrva Bhāga · Dialogic Narrative Frame (Ṛṣi–Deva Context)

Devanagari script

महातपा उवाच । पूर्वं देवगणाः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । कार्यारम्भं तथा चक्रुः सिध्यन्ते च न संशयः ॥ २३.२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 23.2

Transliteration

mahātapā uvāca | pūrvaṃ devagaṇāḥ sarve ṛṣayaś ca tapodhanāḥ | kāryārambhaṃ tathā cakruḥ sidhyante ca na saṃśayaḥ || 23.2 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Mahātapā rzekł: „W dawnych czasach wszystkie zastępy bogów oraz widzący, bogaci w ascetyczną dyscyplinę, podejmowali swoje przedsięwzięcia właśnie w ten sposób i odnosili sukces, co nie ulega wątpliwości.”

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Word by Word

• महातपाः: Mahātapā (the great ascetic)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि: ‘महान् तपः यस्य सः’ (one of great austerity)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
• Role: देशकालाधिकरण (Time adjunct)
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)

• देवगणाः: hosts of gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘देवानां गणाः’
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: देव + गण (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण of ‘देवगणाः’
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋषयः: sages
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• तपोधनाः: austerity-wealthy (ascetics)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘तपः धनं येषां ते’ (whose wealth is austerity)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: तपस् + धन (प्रातिपदिक)

• कार्य-आरम्भम्: beginning of an undertaking
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कार्यस्य आरम्भः’
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: कार्य + आरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)

• तथा: thus, in that way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• चक्रुः: did, performed
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• सिध्यन्ते: succeed, are accomplished
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Root: सिध् (धातु)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• न: not / no
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
• Role: निषेध (Negation)
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• संशयः: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• ऋषयश्च = ऋषयः + च
• कार्यारम्भं = कार्य + आरम्भम् (समास)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Vira rasa

Speaker

Mahātapā

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

What she asks

How did the gods and tapasvin-ṛṣis traditionally begin undertakings so that success is assured?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ācāra-epistemology (authority of exemplars)

Subjects

EthicsPhilosophical InstructionTextual Frame Narrative

Core idea

Right initiation of action grounded in deva/ṛṣi precedent yields reliable fruition.

In practice

Before beginning any rite or major task, follow established śāstric/ācārya procedure and auspicious preliminaries rather than improvisation.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sanskrit Philology
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic rhetorical strategy: legitimizing a recommended practice by citing exemplary precedent (devas and ṛṣis) within the narrative frame.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse fragment.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes confidence in disciplined, properly initiated action: undertakings modeled on established precedents are described as leading to success ‘without doubt’.