Varaha Purana 48.8: Adhyaya 48, Shloka 8

The Kalki Dvādaśī Observance and the Episode of King Viśāla

Pūrva Bhāga · Narrative Frame: Arrival of Sages (Ṛṣi-saṃgama)

Devanagari script

कदाचिदागतौ तत्र पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ । नरनारायणौ देवौ सर्वदेवनमस्कृतौ ॥ ४८.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 48.8

Transliteration

kadācid āgatau tatra purāṇāvṛṣisattamau | nara-nārāyaṇau devau sarva-deva-namaskṛtau || 48.8 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Pewnego razu przybyli tam dwaj najwybitniejsi starożytni mędrcy - Nara i Narajana - boskie istoty, które są czczone przez wszystkich bogów.

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Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once/sometime
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
• Role: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)

• आगतौ: arrived (the two)
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative Dual); ‘having come/arrived’ (as adjective to the pair)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject-qualifier)
• Root: आ+गम् (धातु)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
• Role: अधिकरण (Location)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• पुराणौ: ancient
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative Dual); ऋषिसत्तमौ इति विशेषण
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋषिसत्तमौ: the two best of sages
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative Dual)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject)
• Root: ऋषि-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक: ऋषि + सत्तम)

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative Dual)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/apposition)
• Root: नर-नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवौ: the two gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative Dual); नरनारायणौ इति विशेष्य (in apposition)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/apposition)
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्वदेवनमस्कृतौ: revered by all the gods
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative Dual); देवौ/नरनारायणौ इति विशेषण
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Root: सर्व-देव-नमस्कृत (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व + देव + नमस्कृत)

Sandhi Notes

• पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ → पुराणौ + ऋषिसत्तमौ (au + ṛ → āvṛ)
• सर्वदेवनमस्कृतौ is a multi-member tatpuruṣa (sambandha)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Sacred site/ashrama-ksetra

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Bhakti-theology / guru-parampara

Subjects

Puranic NarrativeSage TraditionsSacred Geography (context-dependent)

Core idea

Divinity may appear in sage-form; the highest is approachable through rishi-embodiments honored even by devas.

In practice

Cultivate reverence toward realized teachers and sacred lineages; treat holy visitors as manifestations of Narayana’s grace.

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative technique: introducing authoritative sages to anchor or validate the ensuing discourse within the broader Sanskrit literary tradition.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse only says “there” (tatra) without naming a site; identification depends on the immediately preceding and following verses in Adhyāya 48.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse emphasizes reverence for exemplary sages and establishes their cultural authority within the narrative.