HomeVaraha PuranaAdhyaya 9Shloka 23
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Varaha Purana 9.23: Adhyaya 9, Shloka 23

The Sequence of Creation, the Emergence of the Praṇava, and the Fish Incarnation’s Retrieval of the Vedas

सुप्ते तु देवे कल्पान्ते तावती रात्रिरिष्यते । त्रैलोक्यमेतत् सुप्तं स्यात् तथोपप्लवतां गतम् ॥ ९.२३ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 9.23

supte tu deve kalpānte tāvatī rātrir iṣyate | trailokyam etat suptaṃ syāt tathopaplavataṃ gatam || 9.23 ||

कल्पान्ते देवस्य सुप्तौ तावती रात्रिरुच्यते। तस्यां त्रैलोक्यमिदं सर्वं सुप्तवत् स्यात्, उपप्लव-विलयावस्थां गच्छति॥

सुप्तेwhen (he) is asleep
सुप्ते:
अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Locative absolute)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप्)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative absolute with ‘देवे’
तुindeed/but
तु:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)
देवेin the god (when the god)
देवे:
अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Locative absolute)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘in/when the god’
कल्पान्तेat the end of the kalpa
कल्पान्ते:
अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Time-locative)
TypeNoun
Rootकल्पान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘at the end of a kalpa’
तावतीso long/that much
तावती:
विशेषण (Visheshana)
TypeAdjective
Rootतावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative/quantitative adjective qualifying ‘रात्रिः’
रात्रिःnight
रात्रिः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
इष्यतेis regarded (as)
इष्यते:
क्रिया (Kriya/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootइष् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘is considered/accepted’
त्रैलोक्यम्the three worlds
त्रैलोक्यम्:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; dvigu compound ‘three worlds’
एतत्this
एतत्:
विशेषण (Visheshana)
TypeAdjective
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifier of ‘त्रैलोक्यम्’
सुप्तम्asleep
सुप्तम्:
कर्तृसम्बन्धि विशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप्)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate adjective
स्यात्would be
स्यात्:
क्रिया (Kriya/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
तथाthus/so
तथा:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)
उपप्लवताम्of the afflicted/disturbed
उपप्लवताम्:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootउपप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive ‘of those in calamity/disturbance’
गतम्gone/come to (that state)
गतम्:
कर्तृसम्बन्धि विशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootगत (कृदन्त; √गम्)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate ‘gone/come to’

Varāha

P
Purāṇic Literature
V
Vaiṣṇavism
I
Indian Cosmology
S
Sanskrit Textual Tradition

FAQs

It reflects a widely attested Purāṇic cosmological model in which creation and dissolution proceed in cyclical time units (kalpas), including a ‘night’ associated with cosmic withdrawal, a theme shared across several Sanskrit Purāṇas.

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; it is framed as a universal cosmological statement about the triple world (trailokya).

Rather than a direct ethical injunction, the verse conveys a philosophical instruction about impermanence and cyclical change—emphasizing that even the structured cosmos undergoes periodic quiescence and dissolution.

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