Varaha Purana 4.32: Adhyaya 4, Shloka 32

On Nārāyaṇa’s Ten Avatāras and Eightfold Manifestations, and the Account of King Aśvaśirā

Pūrva Bhāga · Narrative Dialogue (Royal Inquiry to Sages)

Devanagari script

कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा स राजा अश्वशिरास्तदा । पप्रच्छ तावृषी भक्त्या किमिदं द्विजसत्तमौ ॥ ४.३२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 4.32

Transliteration

kṛtāñjalipuṭo bhūtvā sa rājā ’śvaśirās tadā | papraccha tāv ṛṣī bhaktyā kim idaṃ dvijasattamau || 4.32 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Тогда царь Ашвашираc, сложив ладони в почтительном анджали, с преданностью спросил двух риши: «Что это, о лучшие из дважды-рождённых?»

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Word by Word

• कृत-अञ्जलि-पुटः: with hands joined in reverence
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (past passive participle) — ‘having made (his) joined-hands-cup’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having become’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: भू (धातु)

• सः: he
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• राजा: king
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अश्वशिराः: Aśvaśiras (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य शिरः यस्य) नामरूपेण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: अश्व-शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
• Role: Kāla (काल)
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: प्र-√पृच्छ् (धातु)

• तौ: those two
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋषी: two sages
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भावे
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)

• किम्: what?
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• इदम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• द्विज-सत्तमौ: O best of the twice-born (you two)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय — ‘श्रेष्ठौ द्विजौ’
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• कृताञ्जलिपुटो = कृत-अञ्जलि-पुटः
• राजा अश्वशिराः = राजा अश्वशिराः (अवग्रह)
• तावृषी = तौ ऋषी
• किमिदं = किम् इदम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Royal court

Speaker

King Aśvaśiras (inquirer); sages addressed as respondents

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

What she asks

What is the nature/cause of this extraordinary manifestation witnessed in the court?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics of inquiry (vinaya)

Subjects

EthicsHeritage Sites

Core idea

Right questioning requires devotion and humility; knowledge is approached through reverent dialogue with the wise.

In practice

Adopt respectful posture and intent when seeking explanations; let bhakti and vinaya guide philosophical inquiry.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Dialogue Form
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: a royal patron approaches learned sages with humility, framing the transmission of teachings as a dialogic, socially embedded exchange.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is specified in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition introducing a question to the sages.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse models intellectual humility and respectful inquiry—approaching knowledge through reverence (añjali) and devotion (bhakti) rather than assertion.