Varaha Purana 32.1: Adhyaya 32, Shloka 1

Dharma as the Bull-Form: Soma’s Transgression and the Institution of the Thirteenth Lunar Day Observance

Devanagari script

पूर्वं ब्रह्माऽव्ययः शुद्धः परादपरसंज्ञितः । स सिसृक्षुः प्रजास्त्वादौ पालनं च विचिन्तयत् ॥ ३२.२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 32.1

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ brahmā’vyayaḥ śuddhaḥ parādaparasaṃjñitaḥ | sa sisṛkṣuḥ prajās tv ādau pālanaṃ ca vicintayat || 32.2 ||

Translation

Na początku Brahmā, niezniszczalny i czysty, określany jako transcendentny i immanentny, gdy zechciał stworzyć istoty na początku, rozmyślał również o ich ochronie i rządzeniu.

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Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly/at first
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective of ब्रह्मा

• शुद्धः: pure
• शुद्धः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective of ब्रह्मा

• परादपरसंज्ञितः: designated as ‘higher and lower’ (para/apara)
• परादपरसंज्ञितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परात् + अपर + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (तत्पुरुष; ‘called/known as para-and-apara’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective of ब्रह्मा

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• सिसृक्षुः: desiring to create
• सिसृक्षुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + सन्/इच्छार्थक (कृदन्त)
• Form: Desiderative participle (सन्-प्रत्ययान्त/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• प्रजाः: creatures/subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial locative used as avyaya (सप्तमी-एकवचनवत् अव्ययीभाव), ‘in the beginning’

• पालनम्: protection/maintenance
• पालनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• विचिन्तयत्: considered/reflected upon
• विचिन्तयत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्, Imperfect/Past), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker framework; explicit speaker not stated in the excerpt)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharma and Kingship (Pālana)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a standard Purāṇic cosmogonic motif: creation is paired with the responsibility of maintenance (pālana), aligning cosmology with governance ethics in early Sanskrit narrative traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily cosmological and administrative (creation and protection) in focus.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes that initiating creation (or any foundational undertaking) is inseparable from deliberation on protection, care, and responsible governance (pālana).