Varaha Purana 97.3: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 3

The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow

Pūrva Bhāga · Rudra-māhātmya (Brahmā and Rudra episode)

Devanagari script

तदा कौतूहलाद्ब्रह्मा स्कन्धे तं जगृहे प्रभुः ॥ स्कन्धारूढस्तदा रुद्रो ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 97.3

Transliteration

tadā kautūhalād brahmā skandhe taṃ jagṛhe prabhuḥ || skandhārūḍhas tadā rudro brahmaṇo'vyaktajanmanaḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Wtedy, z ciekawości, Brahmā, Pan, wziął go na swoje ramię. W tamtym czasie Rudra spoczywał na ramieniu Brahmy, którego narodziny są opisywane jako niewyjawione (avyakta).

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Word by Word

• tadā: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)
• Role: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)

• kautūhalāt: out of curiosity
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)

• skandhe: on (his) shoulder
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Root: skandha (प्रातिपदिक)

• tam: him
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• jagṛhe: took, seized
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Root: grah (धातु)

• prabhuḥ: the lord
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषण/उपपद
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—apposition)
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)

• skandhārūḍhaḥ: mounted on the shoulder
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—स्कन्धे आरूढः; ‘ārūḍha’ = भूतकृदन्त (PPP) from ā+ruh
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—predicate adjective)
• Root: skandha + ārūḍha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)

• tadā: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)
• Role: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of Brahmā)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)

• avyaktajanmanaḥ: whose birth is unmanifest
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—अव्यक्तं जन्म यस्य (whose birth is unmanifest); ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive qualifier)
• Root: a-vyakta + janman (प्रातिपदिके; समास)

Sandhi Notes

• kautūhalād brahmā = kautūhalāt + brahmā
• brahmaṇo'vyakta- = brahmaṇaḥ + avyakta-
• skandhārūḍhaḥ = skandha + ārūḍhaḥ

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Mythic cosmogonic setting

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

What she asks

What happened when Brahmā, out of curiosity, lifted Rudra onto his shoulder, and what does ‘unmanifest birth’ imply?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Metaphysics of manifestation

Subjects

CosmologyMythic narrativeGenealogy and manifestation

Core idea

The ‘unmanifest’ (avyakta) can be the ground of a manifest deity’s appearance; divine origin transcends ordinary birth.

In practice

Hold a two-level view in devotion: honor the visible form while contemplating the unmanifest source beyond attributes.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Instruction continues within Varāha–Bhū framework.

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Mythology
• Sanskrit Narrative

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

Such episodes illustrate Purāṇic narrative strategies for expressing hierarchy, intimacy, and the paradox of manifestation (avyakta) in cosmogonic storytelling.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is referenced.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is narrative-descriptive; it does not state an ethical rule, but it frames curiosity and interaction among cosmic agents as part of creation lore.