Varaha Purana 39.13: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 13

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Pūrva Bhāga · Brahma-jñāna / Yogic Inquiry (Philosophical Dialogue)

Devanagari script

सत्यतपा उवाच । यदेतत् परमं ब्रह्म त्वया प्रोक्तं महामुने । तस्य रूपं न जानन्ति योगिनोऽपि महात्मनः ॥ ३९.१३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.13

Transliteration

satyatapā uvāca | yad etat paramaṁ brahma tvayā proktaṁ mahāmune | tasya rūpaṁ na jānanti yogino 'pi mahātmanāḥ || 39.13 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Satjatapa rzekł: „O wielki mędrcze, ten najwyższy Brahman, który został objawiony przez ciebie, nawet jogini o wielkiej postaci nie znają jego formy.”

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Word by Word

• सत्यतपाः: Satyatapas (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सत्यं तपः यस्य)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: सत्यतपस् (प्रातिपदिक; सत्य + तपस्)

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

• यत्: which
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• एतत्: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• परमम्: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• त्वया: by you
• Type: Noun
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन
• Role: Kartṛ-karaṇa (कर्ता/करण)
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken/declared
• Type: Verb
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (spoken/declared)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)

• महामुने: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मुनि)

• तस्य: of that
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• रूपम्: form
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• जानन्ति: know
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)

• योगिनः: yogis
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपि: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• महात्मनः: great-souled ones
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + आत्मन्)

Sandhi Notes

• यदेतत् = यत् + एतत्
• योगिनोऽपि = योगिनः + अपि

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Satyatapā

The teaching

Subjects

CosmologyEthics

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Philosophy
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic pedagogical pattern: a named interlocutor acknowledges the difficulty of defining Brahman, situating the text within broader Sanskrit traditions of metaphysical inquiry shared with yoga and Vedānta discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is mentioned in this verse; the content is metaphysical rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes epistemic humility: even advanced practitioners may not grasp the ‘form’ (rūpa/nature) of ultimate reality, encouraging careful inquiry and restraint in making absolute claims.