Varaha Purana 21.78: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 78

The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share

Pūrva Bhāga · Rudra–Brahmā Saṁvāda (Dialogic Narrative)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तेऽथ रुद्रेण ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । उवाच रुद्रं सस्नेहं स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः ॥ २१.७९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.78

Transliteration

evam ukte ’tha rudreṇa brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | uvāca rudraṃ sasnehaṃ smitapūrvam idaṃ vacaḥ || 21.79 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Когда Рудра так сказал, Брахма — праотец, дед миров — с любовью обратился к Рудре, сперва улыбнувшись, а затем произнёс такие слова.

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)

• उक्ते: when (this) was said
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative absolute), एकवचन—“when (it was) said”
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• लोक-पितामहः: grandfather of the world
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य पितामहः)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• रुद्रम्: to Rudra
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• स-स्नेहम्: affectionately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण—“with affection”
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थक) + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्मित-पूर्वम्: with a smile beforehand
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; क्रियाविशेषण—“having smiled first / with a prior smile”
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: स्मित (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• इदम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वचः)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वचः: speech / words
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• उक्तेऽथ = उक्ते + अथ (अवग्रहः)
• स्मितपूर्वमिदं = स्मितपूर्वम् + इदम् (मकार-सन्धि/अनुस्वार-लेखन)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Hasya rasaSetting: Celestial court

Speaker

Narrator (contextual frame introducing Brahmā’s reply)

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She listens

Her state of mind

Attentive (listening to narrated exchange among deities)

What she asks

How do the cosmic authorities (Rudra and Brahmā) negotiate roles, names, and order within creation?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethical/political theology

Subjects

CosmologyDialogue LiteratureTheology (Puranic narrative framework)

Core idea

Authority is exercised with sa-sneha (affection) and smita (gentle composure), modeling non-hostile governance among powers.

In practice

In counsel and correction, combine clarity with goodwill; let restraint and warmth guide leadership.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Sanskrit Philology
• Indic Cosmology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: a framed dialogue where a prior speaker’s statement is followed by a respectful response from a higher cosmological authority (here, Brahmā), indicating transmission of doctrine through conversational sequence.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is mentioned in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition introducing Brahmā’s response to Rudra.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No explicit ethical injunction appears here; the verse primarily conveys discourse etiquette—Brahmā responds with composure and affection—setting a tone of measured, respectful philosophical exchange.